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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26321107">Leo's Logbook</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ardoa88/pseuds/Ardoa88'>Ardoa88</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Big Bro Percy, Eidolons, Exhausted Leo, Fluff and Humor, Follows plot of The Mark Of Athena, Gen, Guilty Leo, Hurt/Comfort, Inferiority Complex, Jake is glad he's not in charge anymore, Just- lots of Leo in this, Leo Needs a Hug, Leo builds the Argo II, Mechanics, No technojargon here- actual mechanical stuff, Nyssa swears, Okay- maybe a bit of technojargon, from Ch 20-ish onward, insecure Leo, leo gets a hug (eventually)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:54:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>90,964</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26321107</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ardoa88/pseuds/Ardoa88</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo had a job to do before they could go to Camp Jupiter. A big job. Unfortunately, building the Argo II from scratch wasn't as easy at the Son of Hephaestus made it sound. These are some of his logbook entries. (OR: A series of one-shots based around the building of the Argo II. Mostly featuring Leo and the other members of Cabin Nine.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>176</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello AO3!</p><p>So I realized I have no impulse control and decided to just start uploading my second story here today. It's not complete, but there are 19 chapters so far with #20 in the works. How many chapters are there total? Well, if I knew, I would tell you.</p><p>Anyway- in case you don't read the tags, this story will basically follow Leo and his cabin mates as he builds the Argo II. Why? Because as I went through my training to become an Aviation Maintenance mechanic I thought a lot of the stuff was interesting/cool and so naturally I decided to apply the logical to a fantasy world. And what better way than to try and connect real world airplane maintenance with a flying ship!</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #1: Breaker Breaker</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“They’re ready to test the system.”</p><p>Leo glanced up from his work to see Jake Mason’s head of shaggy blond hair poking around the corner of the doorway. Despite the grease and epoxy that stained the former head counselors clothes, Jake was grinning excitedly. He waved his hand in a ‘come here’ motion. “Everyone’s waiting for you to start ‘er up.”</p><p>Leo rolled his eyes. “It’s not like they <em> need </em> me there to do an ops check.” But nevertheless, the Son of Hephaestus stood, stretching out his cramped muscles. Sitting hunched over a desk for the better part of five hours was certainly doing nothing to help his posture.</p><p>Jake huffed out a laugh, leaning against the doorframe. “‘Course not. You’re just the guy who drew out all of the schematics <em> and </em> wiring diagrams <em> and </em> detailed the connectors to be idiot-proofed. Why on <em> earth </em> would they think you’d want to be there for the first official test run?”</p><p>“Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Mason.” Leo retorted, sticking out his tongue at his older half-brother. But despite his outward guise, Leo’s heart warmed at the words and he smiled. The other demigod reciprocated the expression, slinging an arm around the smaller hispanic as they walked out into the workshop.</p><p>Bunker Nine was a mess: and that was putting it kindly. Sheets of Celestial Bronze, all in various stages of assembly, were scattered around the workshop. Toolboxes and rolling workstations piled with papers, mounting hardware, and system components had been clustered in corners and along the edge of the walls. Dominating the cramped space was the Argo II. Or, at least, the bare bones of what would soon be the ship of Leo’s dreams. The ribs of the keel curved upwards like the bones of a decaying animal in the Sahara, one of it’s two masts supported by an overhead crane while it was being attached at the base. Work platforms flanked the bow of the ship, where a small group of equally sweaty demigods cluttered around a control board lashed to the railing with duct tape.</p><p>As Leo and Jake made their way up the ladder, one of the smaller demigods spotted them, waving his hand in greeting as they approached. The moving appendage caught the attention of the others and as one, their heads swiveled to stare at the newcomers.</p><p>Leo grinned at his half-siblings, spreading his hands and saying in a loud voice, “The fu-un has arri-ived!”</p><p>Half of them laughed. The other half groaned.</p><p>Still smiling, Leo rubbed his hands together, letting his eyes rove over the control console. It too, was a haphazard mess of parts; having been thrown together with whatever they’d had on hand. The Son of Hephaestus ran his hand along the keyboard keys, fingertips catching on some of the missing letters. An X-box controller laying flush with the headboard and an old red Gameboy Advance welded to the upper right corner. It was beautiful.</p><p>“Who’s ready to give it a whirl?” Leo asked, looking up at his fellow demigods. There were cries of ‘Me!’ and general cheers of encouragement. “Well… here goes nothing!” And with an over dramatic flourish, he flipped the Gameboy power switch to ‘ON’.</p><p>There was a low whirr as the electrical system came to life, the lights on the control board flickering into existence. Leo looked around, seeing the navigation system boot up while the oars twitched in their sockets. After a long moment of nothing sparking or exploding, the children of Hephaestus released a simultaneous sigh of relief.</p><p>Pride swelled in Leo’s chest, but he forced it back for the moment. “Good job, guys! You can run wires from the bus bar to the console. Now let’s see if you correctly connected them to the components.”</p><p>Turning back to the controls, he swiveled the X-Box joystick, watching the stabilizers rise and fall in the proper sequence. Next he rolled the trackball mouse left and right, looking over his shoulders to see rudder respond in kind. A couple of the demigods high fived. After running a few more tests, Leo couldn’t hold back his grin any longer. He wanted to kiss each and every one of his half-siblings. Encouraged by the success, he then turned the electric guitar volume knob up to eleven, hearing the engine’s alternator respond instantly as he put more power through the system.</p><p>
  <em> Pop! </em>
</p><p>The cheers cut off. Twenty pairs of eyes snapping down to stare at the numbered key pad. The number seven had popped up from the keyboard. Leo’s smile wavered.</p><p>As an added precaution, he’d included a set of circuit breakers that would pop open if too much current was passed between the wires in certain systems. It was a common practice, used to protect the interconnects and loads from overheating and breaking open. The entire right third of the computer keyboard had been designated for that purpose. And one of them had just popped. Heavy groans filled the air as the other demigods noticed what Leo had seen.</p><p>“Now now,” Leo said, making placating motions with his hands, “It might be nothing. Does anyone remember how many times the breakers are allowed to open before we inspect the system?”</p><p>There was a beat of silence before the small demigod from earlier piped up. “Once?”</p><p>“Bingo!” Leo snapped and pointed finger guns at Harley, the kid beaming at the praise. With swift fingers, he then recentered the circuit breaker, snapping it back into place. A second passed. Then two. After he had counted to ten, Leo turned back to the others. “See? What’d I tell you. Everythings-”</p><p>
  <em> Pop! Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop! </em>
</p><p><em> Shit </em>. Leo whirled around. “Jake!”</p><p>But the former head counselor was already on it, jumping forwards to slam his hand on the emergency stop. The ship hummed as it shut down, the oars sagging back to the floor with a defeated <em> thunk </em>. A heavy air settled over the Children of Hephaestus. Leo cringed as he surveyed the damage. Twelve. Twelve breakers had broken open before Jake managed to cut power to the system.</p><p>He heard someone sigh behind him, muttering, “The Curse of Cabin Nine strikes again.”</p><p>“Nah-ah-ah, none of that now.” Leo tsked, folding his arms across his chest as he looked over the dejected expressions of his fellow cabinmates. “There is no ‘<em> curse’ </em>, there are problems, and there are solutions. And when we run across a problem, what do we do? We fix it.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“No ‘buts’.” Leo continued, barreling over the interruption. “We don’t make excuses here. Or did I accidentally walk into the Aires cabin?” There were a few snickers at that, the tension loosening. Leo smirked. “I didn’t think so. So <em> what </em> if the system didn’t work the first time? Even Edison didn’t create the lightbulb on his first try. Now let’s troubleshoot the issue, find the problem, and get it working again!”</p><p>“Yeah!”</p><p>“Hear hear!”</p><p>Leo nodded as his half-siblings scampered off, grabbing multimeters off of the tables and crimping tools from the racks. They spread to various sections of the ship, inspecting the wire bundles and testing the conductivity of the wires. Soon it was only Leo and Jake remaining on the bow, the latter placing a hand on the hispanic’s shoulder.</p><p>“That was a good speech.”</p><p>“Was that what that was?” Leo asked, cocking an eyebrow at his cabin mate. “It felt a lot like scolding unruly toddlers, to be honest.”</p><p>“It’s practically the same thing.” Jake admitted with a light laugh. “But they need to be scolded every now and again.”</p><p>Leo let out a long breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah... I blame you, by the way. You made this whole ‘head counselor’ thing look way easier than it is.”</p><p>“It’s a gift.” Jake shrugged with a smirk, then frowned when his poor attempt at humor failed to pull a smile from the younger demigod; or even a snide remark. “C’mon, Valdez, give yourself some credit. You took over the mantle in the middle of a war, <em> and </em> are overseeing the largest undertaking by Cabin Nine in the history of Camp Half-Blood.”</p><p>At that, the hispanics lips quirked upwards. “I am pretty awesome, aren’t I?”</p><p>“Sure ya are.” Jake rolled his eyes fondly. “Just don’t let all of that ‘awesomeness’ go to your head.”</p><p>“Found it!” The two half-brothers looked down at Harley, the kid brandishing a handful of burned wires. “Looks like one of the wires was too big and shorted out.”</p><p>Nyssa moved over to the damaged section, cursing as she drew near. “The whole wire bundle needs to be replaced.” She informed them. “My guess is that the shorted wire caught fire and burned through the shielding on the other ones. The insulation’s melted all along the length of the bundle.”</p><p>“Great!” Leo called down. “Let’s get to work!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Leo is exhausted, Nyssa is rightfully annoyed, and Jake takes a picture.</p><p>Or: Leo finds out that falling asleep on messy worktables can have some... unintended consequences.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey all!</p><p>See? Absolutely NO impulse control. To be honest, I have a lot of work to finish for school and I'm not sure when I'll be able to post this tomorrow, so you're getting it a day early!</p><p>BIG THANKS to everyone who's left kudos and comments!</p><p>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Entry #2: A Sticky Situation</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>It had been another long day. The second mast had finally been installed, and the composite support beams had gone into the oven earlier that afternoon. The boron and honeycomb sandwich structure would be ten times lighter than celestial bronze and nearly as strong when it came to tensile loads. At least, once it was finished curing. Leo dragged his eyes up to the clock on the wall as he fought back a yawn.</p><p>1:17.</p><p>In the morning.</p><p><em>Crap</em>- it was already tomorrow.</p><p>The others had gone back to the cabin hours ago, the Son of Hephaestus assuring his cabinmates that he would be back before midnight. <em>Well, so much for that</em>. Leo’s thoughts wandered as he watched the oven timer slowly count down the remaining minute.</p><p>Nyssa would scold him again. She always hated when he pulled all-nighters. Jake would remind him of the necessity to sleep, but the former head counselor understood the importance of finishing the ship on time, so maybe he wouldn’t be too harsh. The others… Leo doubted they even knew he spent more time sleeping on drafting tables than in his bed. Even when he didn’t stay in Bunker Nine overnight, he was usually the first one there in the morning and the last to leave.</p><p>The timer went off with a beep, drawing Leo from his musings. It took some convincing before Leo’s body unfolded from the comfort of the desk chair, pins and needles shooting down his legs as he forced them to walk over to the oven.</p><p>Opening the hot box, Leo reached inside, pulling out the composite rib and maneuvering it over to one of the cleared off work tables. There were seven in total. Seven structural members that would support the main mast. It was kind of ironic when he thought about it. Leo shook his head with a wry grin. Intentional or not, he didn’t really care, all he wanted to do was climb into his bunk back in the Hephaestus cabin and sleep until dawn.</p><p>Fate, as it so happened, was not on his side: the seventh rib had warped.</p><p>A heavy sigh echoed in the quiet of the bunker as Leo ran a hand down his face. <em> Di Immortales </em>, they couldn’t afford a delay like this. His gaze shifted to the schedule posted on the far wall. These ribs needed to be installed before they could start putting together the top deck and mounting the crossbows. Leo glanced at the clock again. 1:27.</p><p>He still had time.</p><p>Stretching his hands out in front of him, Leo huffed out a breath and got to work. It took time to lay out the materials, cut the laminates, mix the epoxies, and measure out the matrices. Too much time, in his opinion, but he couldn’t rush. The measurements had to be exact, the fibers symmetrical. If they weren’t, then the material would only warp when he finally put it into the oven. By the time he’d finished constructing the replacement composite, it was nearly 4:45.</p><p>The mechanic wiped the back of a gloved hand across his eyes, grinning despite the heaviness in his lids. He’d done it; the part would finish curing by the time the others arrived. They were still on schedule.</p><p>The back half of the bunker had become a cluttered mess of laminates and epoxy. But as the demigod moved to start cleaning up, the workshop blurred in his vision. Leo blinked hard. Okay, so maybe he could take a quick nap first and <em> then </em> clean up. He stumbled over to a work chair, collapsing into it and leaning on the table, pillowing his head in his arms. The cold metal desk could’ve been the softest cloud in the sky for all he knew, and Leo felt his eyes dragging closed despite his best efforts to keep them open.</p><p><em> Five minutes </em> , he told himself. <em> I’ll just close my eyes for five… </em></p><p>He was asleep before he finished the thought.</p><hr/><p>Leo dreamed he was a rib.</p><p>He wasn’t the only one who was a rib. In his dream, he saw Piper and Jason, even that crazy scary Athena chick, Annabeth. They were all ribs. He saw shadows- silhouettes- of three other people. Those didn’t have any distinct shape, they were more like amorphous blobs, constantly shifting, never remaining solid for long.</p><p>They were all ribs. Key structural members holding up Olympus and the gods. Holding up the world.</p><p>But one rib was warped. Unstable.</p><p>Leo’s rib cracked, crumbled away to dust. The other six remained standing, flexing under the added load, but managing to hold strong for a good long while. Then, they too began to crack. The pressure had grown too great, and they crumbled, the laminate fracturing under the weight.</p><p>Olympus fell.</p><hr/><p>A steady beeping roused Leo from his slumber.</p><p>Blinking tired eyes, the demigod went to rub away the sleep but stopped with a wince and a hiss as he felt a painful tug on his hair. Something wasn’t right. His hand felt… sticky. No- sticky wasn’t the right word. More… tacky. Like a thick paste was coating his right hand.</p><p>That’s when Leo saw the overturned cup. </p><p><em> Mierda </em>, this wasn’t good. He had to find a way to fix this before the others arrived.</p><p>Naturally, it was at that exact moment that the bunker door slammed open.</p><p>“I swear to Zeus if he pulled another all nighter, I’m gonna-” Nyssa’s voice, which had been steadily growing louder as the girl stomped towards the back of the room, cut off abruptly as she came around the bend.</p><p>And, oh look, Jake was with her.</p><p>Leo bit back a groan; this day just kept getting better. Both demigods had pulled up short, staring at Leo with blank expressions. Plastering a smile on his face, Leo waved at them.</p><p>Or, rather, he did his best to wave at them while his right hand was effectively glued to the top of his head.</p><p>“Mornin’!”</p><p>“H-How-” Nyssa stuttered while Jake doubled over with laughter. “What on <em> earth </em> did you do this time?”</p><p>“I, uh,” Leo glanced down at the culprit of his current predicament. “Kinda spilled a cup of epoxy on my hand while I was sleeping…”</p><p>Nyssa raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Oh, for the love of- stop laughing, Mason, it’s not <em> that </em> funny.” She snapped.</p><p>Jake wiped a tear from his eyes. “Sorry, sorry, you’re right. It’s <em>not</em> funny- it’s <em> hilarious </em>! If you could only see yourself-“ The former head counselor paused, frowning for a split second. “Hang on. Didn’t Harley build a polaroid camera a few months ago?”</p><p>Oh <em> gods </em> no.</p><p>“Stay here. I’ll be right back!” Jake called, waving with a grin as he jogged towards the door.</p><p>“Mason,” Leo threatened, “don’t you <em> dare </em>-” but the bunker entrance had already swung shut. The hispanic felt the blood drain from his face as he turned to his only hope for salvation.</p><p>Nyssa crossed her arms. “Nuh-uh. You got yourself into this.”</p><p>“<em> Please </em>, Nys.” Leo all but begged. “I’ll never hear the end of it if he takes that picture.”</p><p>His half- sibling shook her head. “It’s not <em>my</em> fault you decided to pull another all nighter. If I remember correctly, I believe I told you to go to bed <em>before</em> midnight.”</p><p>“Aww, c’mon. <em> Please </em>,” Leo <em>was</em> begging now. “I’ll give you my dessert for a week if you help me out!”</p><p>“You barely show up to dinner anyway,” Nyssa countered, raising an eyebrow. “However- if you promise to get a full eight hours of sleep tonight, then we have a deal.”</p><p>“But...” Leo bit his lip, looking over at the schedule. “There’s still so much to do.”</p><p>“Mason’s probably back at the cabin already-”</p><p>“Alright, fine! Deal!” Leo paused, a pinch between his brow. “I’d shake on it, but, uh...” he waggled his fingers.</p><p>Nyssa rolled her eyes, moving over to where Leo still stood awkwardly. He winced as she maneuvered his hand, the dried resin refusing to cooperate as Nyssa gently tugged at the appendage for a good ten minutes to no avail.</p><p>“You got it stuck pretty good.” She commented, whistling appreciatively, “it might be better if we just cut it out-”</p><p>“No way.” Leo pulled back from her proddings. “You are <em> not </em> damaging the money maker.”</p><p>“The <em> money </em> maker?” Nyssa snorted. “Please, your hair is always a rats nest- what’s the harm in cutting off a few more strands? No one’s going to notice.”</p><p>Leo shook his head, the movement made awkward by the still-attached appendage. “Nope. Not happening. We are <em> not </em> cutting my hair.”</p><p>“Fine, fine,” The other demigod raised her hands in surrender. “I’ll go get the acetone, then.”</p><p>She returned a few minutes later, dipping a cloth into the clear liquid. But just as Nyssa was about to begin wiping off the epoxy, there was a burst of light from behind them. Leo whirled, only for another flash to erupt in his eyes, forcing the Son of Hephaestus to blink away spots.</p><p>“Yes!” Jake cheered, delicately pulling on the small piece of film. “Photographic evidence.” He then turned and ran towards the exit.</p><p>All thoughts of freeing his hand forgotten, Leo bolted after him. “Mason! You destroy that <em> right </em> now-”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Haha- Jake you better RUUUUUNNNNN BOIIIII. Let's be real, this is not the first, nor last, time Jake will have to run from someone who wants to (slightly) murder him.</p><p>Wishing everyone a wonderful Tuesday/Monday evening (depending on when you're reading this ;P)</p><p>As always, feel free to drop me a comment or critique if you liked/disliked something- I love hearing from you guys!</p><p>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The one where Nyssa and Jake hit a wall, and Leo proves that (1) he's smarter than them both, and (2) a young Leo should really not be left alone with car parts.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>To those who are still reading this, allow me to say thank you :)<br/>That is all. Siri send the tweet. Yes, I know it's 6:30 in the morning- send the gods dammed tweet already!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Entry #3: A Rigged System</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the rigging, it has to be.”</p><p>“It’s not the rigging.”</p><p>“<em> Yes </em>, it is.”</p><p>“<em> No </em> .” Jake folded his arms across his chest. “It’s <em> not </em>.”</p><p>“Then what else could it be?” Nyssa asked, throwing her hands up in exasperation.</p><p>The former head counselor huffed, pushing away from the railing he’d been leaning against for the past five minutes “I don’t <em> know </em> what it could be, that’s why I’m asking you!”</p><p><em> Why do these problems never show up in the morning? </em> Nyssa thought grumpily as she stood up from where she’d been crouched next to the control console. It was almost time for their crew to break for dinner after a productive day of rigging the flight system to the main rotors. Come to think of it, Nyssa scowled, they would already be at the dining pavillion if Jake hadn’t insisted on running a quality control check before they left.</p><p>But he’d been put in charge for a reason; and if nothing else, Nyssa could respect her half-sibling’s repertoire of experience when it came to rigging cables and pulley systems.</p><p>After all, it had been Jake’s idea to create a moving target range for the Apollo kids- one that would vary it’s speed depending on what difficulty level it was set to. And not only had he been the main system designer, but he’d also personally routed each cable as needed. If anyone knew what they were doing when it came to cables and pulleys, it was him. So when he said to do a quick test of the ships control system, they’d done the test.</p><p>It had gone smooth up until the moment Jake had taken his hands off of the main yolk to assess the rudder alignment. Unprompted, the control surface had turned ninety degrees to the right.</p><p>Needless to say, they’d failed the test. And consequently, were forced to troubleshoot the issue: something they’d been doing for the past <em> three hours </em>. All of which culminated to the Daughter of Hephaestus being sweaty, tired, and hungry. Any of which factors, individually, would be reason enough for the brunette to be abnormally cranky.</p><p>Nyssa turned and glared back at their team leader with equal intensity. “And that’s why I’m <em> telling </em> you, it’s probably due to faulty rigging.”</p><p>Jake shook his head stubbornly. “I double and <em> triple </em> checked the pulleys and turnbuckles. They’re all rigged properly.”</p><p>“What about the fairleads?”</p><p>“I told you, it’s <em> not </em> the-”</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>The two arguing campers startled guiltily at the new voice, Nyssa and Jake both turning to see Leo making his way up to the control board. The younger demigod had been cooped up all day in the back workshop, riveting together sheets of the outside skin with the other team.</p><p><em> They must’ve already left </em>, Nyssa realized, casting her gaze towards the back room to see that- yup- the lights were out. Leo must’ve come to see what was taking them so long with the rigging. Speaking of… Nyssa turned back to her Cabin Head, seeing his eyebrows rise expectantly as he patiently waited for one of them to speak.</p><p>Jake cleared his throat, “Well, you see- after we finished rigging the controls, I called for a quality control check…”</p><p>Nyssa tuned out the rest of the explanation, instead casting a critical eye over the hispanic. She could tell that Leo was tired- hell, they all were- but the demigod looked a lot better after having gotten a solid eight hours of sleep. The Daughter of Hephaestus didn’t care that she’d had to practically drag her Cabin Leader from the bunker; if the result was that the permanent bags under Leo’s eyes had reduced, she’d do it again in a heartbeat.</p><p>“...and then it turns to the right.” Jake finished, directing the Hispanics attention to the rear of the ship where- sure enough- the rudder swung to the right. Leo hummed thoughtfully, a pinch appearing between his brows as he glanced between the control panel and the offending control surface.</p><p>It was another five seconds before he spoke.</p><p>“Have you inspected the ball bearings within the steering control valve?” Leo asked. “They’re probably improperly seated or something.”</p><p>Jake and Nyssa just stared at the younger demigod, a long bout of silence stretching between the three of them. The brunette was the first to find her voice.</p><p>“How in <em> Hades </em>do you know that?”</p><p>Leo shrugged- <em> shrugged! </em> - at Nyssa. “I don’t <em> know </em> for sure.” He admitted. “But if you haven’t checked that yet, then that’s where I’d start.”</p><p>“But- I mean <em> how </em>-”</p><p>“Anyway.” Leo interrupted, fighting back a yawn as he stretching long arms above his head. “I’m gonna go get some grub and hit the hay. Since <em> someone </em> keeps insisting I eat and sleep like a proper half-human.” And with those parting words, their half-sibling gave them a mock salute before making his way out of the bunker, hands tucked in pockets as he whistled an airy tune.</p><p>As soon as he was gone Nyssa whirled to Jake. “Impossible.” She stated. “There is no <em> freaking </em> way he could know how to fix this.”</p><p>Jake just shook his head in bewilderment. “And yet… c’mon, let’s go check and see.”</p><p>He led the way down the stairs, all the while Nyssa continued her insistence. “I mean, he takes one look at the two outermost system components and then- bam! He identifies the problem? Nu-uh, no way Jose. I am calling Minotaur-shit on this one.”</p><p>“Nys!” Jake admonished lightly. “I thought only the Aires kids were so vulgar.”</p><p>“Like I give a damn.” She snapped. “I am hungry. I am tired. I smell like an engine. And if we just spent three whole <em> hours </em> searching for an issue that Leo could spot in five <em> seconds </em>... I am going to hit something.” She stated matter-of-fact.</p><p>“As long as that something’s not me.” Jake muttered as they reached the main flight control closet.</p><p>The access panel swung back on oiled hinges, revealing an orderly array of wires and components. Ignoring most of the closet, Jake reached towards a small, rectangular black box mounted to the base of the panel. He quickly unscrewed the mounting hardware, removing the component with care.</p><p>The former Cabin Head then raised the box to his ear, rocking it slightly back and forth. After repeating the motion a few times, he huffed.</p><p>“Well I’ll be a Satyrs uncle…”</p><p>“No.” Nyssa snatched the component from his hands. “No <em> way. </em> You <em> cannot </em> be serious-”</p><p>But the accusation died on her lips as- sure enough- she heard the telltale rattle of misaligned bearings as she gently shook the steering control valve. The two experienced mechanics shared an incredulous look. One thought pushing to the forefront.</p><p><em> How did he </em> know <em> ? </em></p><hr/><p>Nyssa found him back in the bunker after dinner, bent over a light table and staring absently at a schematic under the light. She marched up to him, the younger demigod completely oblivious to his surroundings.</p><p>
  <em> BAM! </em>
</p><p>Leo jerked up from the drawing, seeming to come back to the present as he stared down at the control valve Nyssa had just plopped onto the desk. Well… slammed, more like. He blinked a few times, then looked up at her with a question in his wide, chocolate eyes.</p><p>Nyssa had a question of her own. “How.” She demanded. “How did you know?”</p><p>Leo grimaced guiltily, a rueful smile curling his lips. “I, uh… kinda ran into a similar problem a few years back when I was trying to make a flying bike.”</p><p>The Daughter of Hephaestus blinked. That… was not at all what she’d expected to hear. Her shock must’ve shown because Leo’s cheeks began to grow red under her stare.</p><p>“To be fair,” he said. “I was using a car steering control valve so…”</p><p>“You tried to make a flying bike?”</p><p>The Head of Cabin Nine’s cheeks were flaming now. “I had just watched the movie E.T. for the first time, and it was close to Halloween.” He admitted. “So I borrowed Piper’s bike and… <em> temporarily commandeered </em> some components from Mr. Gerosi’s Chevy convertible to try and get the bike to fly.”</p><p>Nyssa shook her head. She wasn’t sure whether to be impressed by her half-brother’s spunk, or disappointed by his lack of forethought. Maybe a bit of both?</p><p>Leo seemed to read her mind as he chuckled. “I pretty quickly found out that I would need more than car parts to truly get airborne. So instead, I settled for having the bike self-steer while being in a continuous wheelie. It took me a while to figure out how to steer with only the back wheel,” Leo waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll spare you the details, but long story short, it kept making unwanted left turns.”</p><p>“And that’s when you found out it was the control valve?” Nyssa concluded.</p><p>Her half-brother nodded. “Took me a whole day to figure it out.”</p><p>The brunette shook her head with a small scoff. “And what did Mr. Gerosi have to say about you ‘temporarily commandeering’ his car parts?”</p><p>“Nothing.” Leo smirked triumphantly. “When he found out, he actually paid me forty bucks to overhaul the whole system.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>As this story goes on, the technical side of the chapters will slowly be replaced by character-focus, but for the first few I was really excited to write about the mechanics of the ship (let's be honest I'm still excited to write about that stuff even at chapter 20), so if that part's not your jam, then just hold on, it'll get better.</p><p>As with all my stories, if you enjoyed something (or hated something) please don't hesitate to drop me a comment :) All writers (and I'm no exception) thrive off of the sacrifices of- I mean... the comments of our readers ^_^</p><p>Have a wonderful... what day is today... Thursday! That means- that means tomorrow is Friday!?!?! Woohoo!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Where Harley proves that NASA has nothing on him, and Leo gets a bit of a confidence boost.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>I hope everyone’s having a wonderful Saturday! Me? I’m posting stories to AO3 while my car gets washed so fingers crossed that phone posting is not as hard as it usually is ;)</p><p>Please enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Entry #4: Live and Learn</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aaannddd…. Done!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo perked up from where he’d been sitting, putting down the stray wires he’d been fiddling with and moving over to the control console. He craned his neck around Harley’s shoulder, looking down at the computer. A string of green numbers and letters blinked back, the alphanumeric code scrolling across the black background of the command box in a predetermined sequence that made absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> sense to the head counselor of Cabin Nine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it?” Leo asked with a considerable amount of disbelief. It’d taken his younger half-sibling less than ten minutes to complete the configuration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup! That’s it.” Harley parroted with a nod, his dark curls bobbing with the motion. The smaller demigod reached over to disconnect the navigation unit from his laptop but hesitated at the last moment. “Well, I was able to program it to display latitude and longitude.” He corrected. “Did you want altitude as well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo shook his head gently, “Nah, we’ve already got an altimeter.” His eyes slid unconsciously over to the small, traditional pocket watch mounted near the center of the console. Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> had taken a while to properly adjust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, good.” Herley flashed him a toothy grin, disconnecting the part and passing the unmounted instrument to Leo. “If you wanted it calibrated for altitude I would’ve had to hack into a fourth satellite and I’m pretty sure that’d raise a red flag in NASA’s system.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo nearly dropped the part in surprise. “Wait- what? You </span>
  <em>
    <span>hacked</span>
  </em>
  <span> into a NASA satellite!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Three, actually.” His half-brother commented casually, shrugging as if the task had been as simple as adding more sugar to a cup of coffee. “If I tried for four there’d be a much bigger chance of their anti-virus program discovering my code and countering it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But- how-” Leo stumbled over his words, equal parts dumbfounded and awed that his eight-year-old half sibling had been able to hack into the governments satellite system.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have my ways.” Harley answered the unasked question with a sly smirk, tucking his home built laptop safely in the crook of his arms The kid then spun on his heels, making for the gangplank as he called over his shoulder, “I’ll go grab the antenna.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo couldn’t repressed a chuckle as he watched the smaller demigod descend down the ramp, a grin slowly spreading into existence a he began mounting the navicomputer to the control panel. His hands slid through the mounting procedure with ease, the process of installing six sets of washers and screws so mundane that his mind began to wander as he worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That kid’s gonna put us all to shame</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought with a pang of envy that was almost instantly replaced by overwhelming pride. Not only was Harley an artist in the forge- his ability to form metal into any shape was practically godlike- but the young demigod was also a downright </span>
  <em>
    <span>genius</span>
  </em>
  <span> when it came to programmable systems. Sure, every Child of Hephaestus had a basic grasp of computer coding: certain machines and designs required the fabrication of programs for them to run properly. But Leo had never really understood much past the fundamentals. He could calibrate instruments and machine parts as well as the rest of them, but when it came to computers he always fell short.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not to say he never </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It’s just that whenever they began getting into the more complex areas like coding algorithms and merge conflict avoidance and pair programming, his mind began to short circuit. It was like trying to learn a new language- and he already spoke three of those so he knew firsthand how difficult the process was.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe… </span>
  </em>
  <span>a sinister whisper snaked through his mind,</span>
  <em>
    <span> if you paid more attention, or were half as smart as Harley, you would be able to fix your dragon</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo dislodged the poisonous thought with a violent shake of his head, moving under the control console to install the final two screws. It wouldn’t do him any good to start thinking like that; wouldn’t get him any closer to bringing Festus back to life. Even… even if there was a modicum of truth to the words. If he had a better grasp of coding, maybe he could create some kind of troubleshooting algorithm instead of testing all of the animatronic dragons circuits individually. Maybe he would’ve been able to salvage the motherboard instead of having to create a new one from scratch. Maybe-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not done yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley’s question startled Leo out of his thoughts, the older demigod jerking up only to smack his head on the underside of the panel with a yelp. Harley snorted, laughing brightly as Leo rubbed the now sore spot on top of his head in annoyance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just tightening the last one.” Leo answered defensively. “Gotta make sure the mounting hardware doesn’t crack the instrument housing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His half brother nodded with interest, eyes wide as he took in the information. “Is the plastic that delicate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> fragile.” Leo responded, his annoyance already fading in light of the younger demigods genuine interest. He maneuvered out from under the panel, standing and dusting his hands off on his slacks. “But it’s always good to be careful with calibrated instruments.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley nodded again, absorbing the advice before smiling and presenting a flat, wide, rectangular box to his Head Counselor. “Here’s the antenna.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect.” The older demigod took the white box, walking towards the bow of the ship where the bulwark created a sort of raised dias behind the mast. Harley followed close behind, watching as Leo attached the component. After a moment of silence, the younger demigod spoke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… why are we putting it here?” He asked. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the receiver closer to the radio so that there’s less interference?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo felt another surge of delight at the younger demigods acute observation. “Normally, yes. But for GPS systems, the distance doesn’t matter as much as the location. It has to be at the highest level point to get the best signal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley’s brow furrowed, lips pursing in thought. “Why’s that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo paused, sending an incredulous look at the younger demigod. Harley had programmed the navicomputer to siphon off NASA satellite radio frequencies, but didn’t know how the system operated?</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The kid must’ve guessed what the older demigod was thinking because he folded his arms across his chest and glanced away, cheeks coloring in embarrassment. “Just because I can do stuff doesn’t mean I’m an expert.” Harley said sourly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, that’s not what I-” Leo backtracked quickly, instantly remorseful that he’d made his youngest cabin mate so humiliated. Man, he really </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad with organics. Leo rested a hand on the kids shoulder and smiled gently. “You’re just so smart that I forget you’re still learning like the rest of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, Harley perked up, canting his head to stare up at the taller demigod. “Even you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I learn something new everyday, kiddo.” Leo affirmed, moving his hand from the broad shouldered youth to ruffle his hair. “And so should you. So-” Leo clapped his hands together. “Lesson of the day: GPS systems. There are three main parts to any basic communication system-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Transmitters, antenna, and receivers.” Harley interrupted, bobbing his head as he listed them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See?” Leo grinned, nudging the kid with his elbow. “You’re a regular Einstein!” The younger demigod practically glowed at the praise and Leo felt himself relax a bit as he began explaining how the global positioning system worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he talked, his mind wandered back to the first time he’d learned about the system himself. He’d been sitting on his mothers lap, asking how the little device in his hand knew where they were, asking if maybe a secret agent had been assigned to watch them and make the device show their location. Leo’s mom had laughed at that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“No, mijo</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  <em>
    <span>” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She’d responded, eyes wrinkled around the edge with a smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“We are watched by the stars. Ven y mira- outside.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And they’d walked out into the brisk night air, staring up at the star-spangled sky until Leo had seen one light moving across the dark expanse. A satellite, his mother had told him. One that could send radio signals faster than the speed of light and be received anywhere within sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo had been fascinated by the concept, just as Harley was now as the older demigod spoke of how there were twenty-one operative satellites orbiting the earth, and how their signals could be translated into coordinates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s why the antenna has to be at the highest point.” Harley breathed in a moment of eureka. “Or else it won’t pick up the satellites transmission?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo nodded his head. “Exactly. Because the satellites use what they call a line of sight wavelength. If the antenna can’t be ‘seen’ by the satellite, it can’t receive the signal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Harley’s eyes widened in understanding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo let Harley bask in his newfound knowledge while he finished the installation; knowing exactly how good it felt to have all of the gears finally click into place, to finally understand- </span>
  <em>
    <span>fully </span>
  </em>
  <span>understand an evasive concept.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re super smart, you know that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speechless for a moment, Leo blinked down at the younger demigod. The sincerity in Harley’s words was genuinely touching, especially since he didn’t deserve the compliment. He wasn’t good with people like Jake, or a troubleshooting mastermind like Nyssa. Heck, even Harley was faster at riveting together sheet metal skins than Leo and half of the campers in Cabin Nine combined. Meanwhile Leo couldn’t even fix one measly dragon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then his thoughts flipped- almost as if he was subconsciously avoiding that previous line of thinking- and he remembered all of the times he’d tinkered with random parts in his mom’s workshop. All of the times he’d make her laugh or smile with his inventions. The nights they’d stay up and talk about the mechanics and small mechanisms within parts, explaining everything in detail regardless of how his young brain hadn’t been able to fully grasp certain concepts. How she would hold him close and whisper how proud she was of her little lion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well,” Leo smiled softly, eyes prickling with moisture as he turned back to the antenna. “I had a really good teacher.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>And now we’re introduced to Harley- he’s only briefly mentioned in the books (discounting the Trials of Apollo that I have not read) but here he will have some big impacts on the story *wink wink* :)</p><p>As usual, if you enjoyed something feel free to let me know down in the comment section below- reading comments is the highlight of my days :)</p><p>Until Monday!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The one where it's New Years at Camp Half-Blood, Leo works on Festus, and Annabeth really needs to take a chill pill.</p><p>Or: The one where Leo needs a hug, but doesn't get one.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>So, this is a part 1 of 2. A couple of these one-shots snippets are told in multiple chapters just because it was easier to write them that way- hope y'all don't mind!</p><p>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #5: Thankless Work 1</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Leo sat back, extinguishing his finger torch and pushing his goggles up so he could critique his work. He squinted down at the soldered wire, inspecting the striped strands with a critical eye. There were no obvious defects; no wires poking out from the filler, no burned insulation, and no excess solder had been sucked up into the shielded portion of the wire. Lastly, Leo tugged on the two ends of the wire; ensuring that the mechanical connection held strong.</p><p>The inspection process had taken him all of ten seconds to perform, the demigod nodding in satisfaction at its completion. Slipping the small tube of heat shrink over the exposed metal strands, the Son of Hephaestus allowed his hand to warm with power. A small wisp of smoke rose between his fingers as he waited for the protective covering to seal over the repair.</p><p>“Twenty-two down.” The mechanic said to himself cheerily, stretching his arms above his head. “Forty-eight to go.” He was more than a third of the way through and it was only… well, sometime after lunch: Leo had a bad habit of losing track of time when he was working.</p><p>Without warning, there was a loud <em>boom</em> from outside the bunker. Leo’s head jerked up and around, heart jackhammering for a solid three seconds before his gaze snapped around to stare at the clock. <em>Speaking of time…</em> <em>was it that late already?</em> </p><p>5:40 pm.</p><p>The demigod exhaled in relief with a small smile. Good. He still had a couple of hours. The fireworks weren’t supposed to start until after dinner, but Leo couldn’t bring himself to blame his cabin mates for doing a test fire so early. For the past week and a half, they’d stopped working on the Argo II in order to tackle a much more daunting endeavor: the New Year's Eve Celebration.</p><p>Chiron had come to Cabin Nine a few days before Christmas, presenting the children of Hephaestus with a challenge. Apparently, it was a Camp Half-Blood tradition for the different cabins to take turns providing entertainment after the New Year's feast: and- lo and behold- this year it was Cabin Nine’s time to shine!</p><p>There had been a short debate over what sort of ‘entertainment’ they could do, but it wasn’t long before Leo’s half-siblings had come to an agreement on something that everyone would enjoy. The Aphrodite kids would love the beautiful colors, the Ares kids would appreciate the explosions, even the Athena kids would have to admit how impressive the displays would be.</p><p>And, oh boy, would they be impressive.</p><p>Leo’s heart swelled with pride as he thought back on all of the hard work his cabin mates had put into the project. It was going to be a spectacular show- he couldn’t wait to see it! His heart twinged slightly with guilt, knowing he should’ve been helping them prepare for the past week. Should’ve lent his assistance constructing the pyrotechnics: but he had his own work to do.</p><p>Weary eyes looked back down at the would-be masthead, some of the faux cheer from earlier fading. Festus’s red polycarbonate eyes stared back at him; dark and lifeless. The head of the dragon was all that had remained after their crash landing in King Midas’ fortress. For the past nine days, while the others prepped for the party, he’d been working relentlessly on restoring the animatronic’s electrical system. He stared down the tangled web of wires, diodes, transistors, and the like: most of which had been charred beyond recognition. They’d been so busy constructing the ship that Leo hadn’t had the time to start the in-depth overhaul that Festus required.</p><p>Leo felt another twinge of guilt, recalling how he’d begged Hephaestus to bring the dragon head back to the bunker; promising to fix his friend. Back when it had happened, when the laser targeting system had incinerated the rest of Festus’ body, Leo felt like someone had taken a knife to his heart. And now, each failed power-up felt like that knife was being twisted in his sternum.</p><p>But he wouldn’t give up.</p><p>He couldn’t.</p><p>The sound of the Bunker door swinging open drew the young demigod from his thoughts and he looked up, expecting to see one of his cabinmates- maybe coming to grab some supplies for the show. He did not expect to see the tall, blonde Daughter of Athena.</p><p>“Annabeth?” Leo got up from the work chair, nervously wiping his hands on his trousers. “What are- er- what bring you to Leo’s World?” He asked, forcing a smile on his face even as his usually flamboyant demeanor wavered.</p><p>Annabeth was one <em>scary</em> <em>chica</em>. Ever since the day she’s arrived at the Grand Canyon demanding they give her Percy Jackson (whoever he was- Leo still hadn’t seen any pictures of him, let alone actually <em>met</em> the guy) he’d officially discarded the stereotype of dumb blondes.</p><p>The Daughter of Athena snapped her gaze away from the ship, and she offered the younger demigod a tight smile. “Just came to see how things are coming along.” Her grey eyes roved over the rafters, a frown forming on her lips. “Where… where is everybody?”</p><p>Leo waved his hand dismissively, “It’s our turn to prep the new years celebration so I gave them the past week and a half off-”</p><p>“A <em> week and a half </em>.”</p><p>Even though Annabeth hadn’t raised her voice a single decibel, the Son of Hephaestus sill cringed. “Yeah, Chiron-”</p><p>“It’s already been three <em> months </em> since construction started on the ship.” Annabeth interrupted again, her eyes flashing like lightning among a storm. “We don’t a second to waste, and yet you’re telling me that no work has been done for the past <em> week and a half! </em>”</p><p>“We’re still on schedule-”</p><p>“I mean, <em> look </em> at it!” Annabeth fling her hand towards the ship. “The upper deck hasn’t even been built yet, the aft section is incomplete, Half of the hull’s skin is missing, the mast has no sail or side supports, and I don’t see any form of defenses- you do realize we’ll be going up against Gaea? As in the mother of the <em> giants </em> ? The ship’s gonna need a way to protect itself.” Annabeth snapped, ignoring the younger demigod; stormy eyes lighted upon the dragon head and she huffed. “But instead you give everyone else a whole <em> week </em> off and spend your own time working on <em> that </em> piece of junk?”</p><p>Leo’s head whipped up, eyes sparking. “Hey-”</p><p>“You don’t understand how important this is, do you?” The rhetorical question barreled over Leo’s response. “I get that you need breaks every now and again. But it’s <em> imperative </em> that we get to this other camp as soon as possible. ‘On Schedule’ is still too late. This project,” She gestured to the ship, “needs to be your top priority. Not some useless dragon head that’s meant for aesthetics.”</p><p>That was the last straw.</p><p>She could insult <em> him </em> , call <em> him </em> lazy, insinuate that <em> he </em> was wasting his time on the dragon head. But she was <em> not </em> allowed to insult his cabinmates <em> or </em> the machine they’d been tirelessly working on- nonstop- for the last twelve weeks. And she certainly was <em> not </em>allowed to insult Festus.</p><p>His own eyes blazed with anger as Leo drew himself up to full height- ignoring the fact that the older girl still topped him by a solid three inches.</p><p>“One, Festus is <em> not </em> a piece of junk.” The demigod could feel flames tickling the inside of his clenched fists. “And two: It <em> is </em> . Where do you think we’ve been all this time? Not at the training fields, not at the rock climbing wall, not at the camp-wide games of capture the flag. No. We’ve been working <em> around </em> the clock to get her finished. I think everyone’s <em> more </em> than earned a break; and if you think otherwise you can take it up with Chiron.”</p><p>Annabeth’s eyes narrowed a fraction but Leo’s held his ground. It took every ounce of willpower he had to hold back the flames that were itching to be set loose on the female demigod. Leo thought he saw a flicker of some emotion in the older demigod’s unrelenting stare- remorse, maybe?- but it was gone in the next second. The Daughter of Athena was the first to break eye contact, turning on her heels.</p><p>“Just get it done.” She snapped over her shoulder as she stalked towards the exit.</p><p>The bunker door crashed shut behind her and Leo let out a shaky breath. His legs felt suddenly unsteady, and he sat down heavily in the work chair. That had been… intense. Leo had never really been one to confront his bullies- he much preferred the alternate tactic of distract and evade. Too many emotions were roiling in his gut, competing for the demigod’s attention: but two stood out among the jumbled mess. Blazing anger, and crushing guilt.</p><p>The anger, he knew, would fade in time. Leo was smart enough to realize that Annabeth <em> probably </em> hadn’t meant to insult their work. She was just as stressed as the rest if them were- probably even more so since it was <em> her </em> boyfriend who was missing- and Leo had just been in the right place at the wrong time: providing a convenient outlet for that pent up frustration.</p><p>Still… that didn’t mean her words hadn’t stung. Especially since they were all true.</p><p>Leo’s shoulders slumped under the metaphorical weight of his guilt. He knew- he <em> knew </em> - that every second he spent on side projects was a second wasted. And ever since he, Piper, and Jason had gone on their quest, Leo had come to appreciate just how crucial a few seconds could be. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to <em> not </em> work on Festus. He had to prove to his cabin mates that he could fix <em> something </em> , do <em> something </em> right.</p><p>Had to prove it to himself.</p><p><em> But… </em> Leo heaved a heavy sigh, glancing back up at the ship. Annabeth was right, there was more pressing maintenance to be done. The Son of Hephaestus rested an apologetic hand on the lifeless animatronic.</p><p>“I’ll get you up and running soon,” He murmured, voice loud in the silence. “I promise.”</p><p>Dull red polycarbonate eyes stared wordlessly back.</p><p>Leo swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, shoving his doubts and guilt into a deep recess in his mind. Then he pulled out a planishing mallet and turned towards the unfinished ship. Annabeth’s words rang in his ears. It could really use some defensive modifications: Shields, perhaps, along the bulwark. And some sort of ranged cannons, like seafaring pirates in the movies.</p><p>Leo forced a smile onto his face, but even the expression couldn’t chase away all of the negative feelings. He made his way up the gangplank, eyeing the lower mast support beam.</p><p>He had work to do.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Geez, someone tell Annabeth to cam tf down. There's no need to hate on our repair boy like that!</p><p>As always, I look forward to any comments/critiques you have to offer :)</p><p>Hope you all have a great Monday! Part 2 will be out on Wednesday!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Piper and Jason enjoy the New Years Eve Celebration, Nyssa times her curse words beautifully to keep this PG, and Leo loses track of the time... again.</p><p>Or: The one where Leo needs a hug... and gets one :)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>I see how it is... I understand now. All I have to do to get kudos is whump Leo. Muahahaha!!! I have cracked the code!</p><p>Hahaha- just kidding, just kidding.... or am I??? :P</p><p>Alright folks, we had our hurt, time to get some comfort- after a biiiittt more hurt.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #6: Thankless Work 2</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo was right, this is truly amazing!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Piper thought with a smile, snuggling closer to Jason as her eyes watched the sky. She felt his arm come around her shoulder, holding her tight while another </span>
  <em>
    <span>boom</span>
  </em>
  <span> rattled the atmosphere; bright orange, green, blue and red hues coloring the night sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t just a fireworks display. It was a fireworks </span>
  <em>
    <span>show</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The multi-colored explosions painted a picture among the starry expanse, of brave Greek heroes and fearsome mythical monsters. Showers of sparks rippled from above as the green and blue Hercules defeated the orange and red Anemian Lion. Piper didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> Leo’s cabin had managed to concoct this moving-picture-slash-firework marvel, but it was breathtaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A high-pitched screech ripped through the cheers of the demigod spectators before another burst of light illuminated the darkness. This time it was a hydra, hued a poisonous blue-purple, the seven-headed serpentine beast snapping at Hercules. Each time the fabled hero cut down one of the hydra heads, there was another set of explosions as two more fireworks took its place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Absolutely spectacular.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If only Leo were here to enjoy it with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hispanic had promised Piper he would join them for dinner and sit with them through the show. The Daughter of Aphrodite frowned; come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Leo at dinner either… </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder where he is?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where who is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper started, not realizing she had spoken aloud. Jason looked down at her, an eyebrow raised in confusion as he waited for her answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo.” She replied, “He said he was going to meet us at the banquet dinner, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason didn’t respond immediately, but from the pinch between his brows, she could tell he’d forgotten. “He’s probably just with his cabinmates.” Jason said, waving a hand towards the base of the hill where the pyrotechnics were set up. “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> a pretty big event. I’m sure he’s just making sure that everything runs smoothly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… probably.” Piper hummed distractedly, her eyes no longer aimed at the sky as she squinted towards the bottom of the hill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason shifted away a bit, arm sliding halfway down her back as he studied her expression. “I know that look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What look? I don’t have a look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a look.” Jason teased. “It’s that ‘I’m worried about something’ look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper huffed, feeling her cheeks grow a little warm. “Well… I guess I am a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> worried. Leo’s been working himself to death over that ship of his. He barely has the time to hang out with us anymore. And then, when he says he will, he doesn’t show up?” She raised an eyebrow at Jason. “Does that sound like Leo to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the Son of Jupiter’s turn to hum in thought. “No.” He admitted after a moment. “Not really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper nodded, decision made as she stood. “I’m gonna go look for him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason stood as well, dusting his hands off on his jeans. “I’m coming too.” He said, flashing her a quick smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Daughter of Aphrodite felt her heart melt a little under the gesture, her own features reciprocating the expression before turning and striding purposefully down the hill, Jason falling in step behind her. The members of Cabin Nine were scurrying about the base of the firework setup, and in the low light it was difficult to differentiate one from the other. After a moment of scanning the faces, Piper spotted a tall, muscled girl in a tank top and bandana.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nyssa-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper’s voice was drowned out by the sound of three fireworks going off in rapid succession as Hercules finally defeated the hydra. There was a brief break from the explosions as the colors faded from the sky; the trials of Hercules shifting to make way for another Greek tale.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried again, “Nyssa!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time the demigod Daughter of Hephaestus looked up, turning around to see Piper and Jason making their way towards her. She handed off something to one of her half-siblings before moving to meet them halfway, a grin spreading on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey guys! Enjoying the show?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The show’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Piper enthused. “How’d you get the fireworks to move like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Daughter of Hephaestus tilted her head and shrugged. “Jake figured out a way with the help of the Hecate kids. The blasts themselves can be pretty dangerous if not sequenced properly, we learned </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> the hard way.” Her amused grin faded slightly as her eyes regarded the two demigods. “You’re… not supposed to be down here, actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We know,” Piper hurried to assure. “We just wanted to see if Leo was with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I thought he said he was gonna watch the show with you two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He did.” Jason affirmed with a nod. “But he never showed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thick eyebrows crashed down like waves upon a rocky shore, the older demigod practically growling, “What do you mean he </span>
  <em>
    <span>never showed</span>
  </em>
  <span>? He promised he would be here once he- </span>
  <em>
    <span>ooh</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> gonna kill him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So then, you know where he is?” Piper felt a bit of her worry fade. It sure sounded like the older girl did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If he’s not with you and he’s not with us-” Nyssa was cut off as the next round of fireworks was jettisoned into the air. After a brief pause she continued. “Then he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the Bunker.”She scowled, looking off into the woods before repeating, “and I’m gonna </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span> him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Jason cleared his throat, raising a finger. “Chiron probably wouldn’t approve of bloodshed on New Years Eve…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure Leo just lost track of the time.” Piper added. “We’ll go see if we can find him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa shook her head, waiting for the next set of fireworks to go off before replying, “No, it’s alright, you guys go enjoy the show, I can go drag Leo’s butt out of that f-” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Boom!</span>
  </em>
  <span> “-ing hanger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s no trouble.” Piper assured, letting a small amount of charmspeak slip into her words. “He’s our friend. And besides, you’ve got a show to run.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a silent moment in which Nyssa gave the two demigods a critical once-over, lips twisted in a half-scowl, half-grimace. Then she sighed. “Fine. Just, when you find him, tell him I’ll kick his a-” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Boom! </span>
  </em>
  <span>“-into next week if he doesn’t come out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We will.” Jason assured with a wave, as he and Piper turned towards the forest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper had only been to the secluded workshop a few times since arriving back at Camp Half-Blood. And in the dark of night the trail leading there was a bit harder to see. After getting turned around only twice, they arrived at the Bunker, the creaking of the metal door overshadowed by the explosions from the arena.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Bunker was just as cluttered as the last time Piper had stopped by, which had been… now that she thought about it, Piper hadn’t gone to visit Leo in the workshop recently. It had been a couple of weeks at least since she’d last seen the ship, but the Daughter of Aphrodite was impressed by the amount of progress that had been made. The rear hull had been attacked to the framework, and the deck was coming together. The main mast was standing tall, and even the masthead base appeared to be well under-way into its construction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was aloft. The hispanic having shimmied up the rigging until he was straddling the lower cross support of the main mast; pounding away at the celestial bronze with a comically large wooden mallet. The continual, rhythmic banging echoed around the Bunker, drowning out the sound of Piper and Jason’s approaching footsteps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Leo? Leo.” Piper raised her voice a bit more. “LEO!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Son of Hephaestus’ paused in his motions, looking up from the mast with a frown, arm drawn back for another swing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Down here!” Piper directed, waving her hand up at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s head swiveled in their direction, the mechanic leaning back on his precarious perch to peer down at the ground. Brown eyes lighted upon the two demigods and a smile spread across his face. Leo waved his tool-free arm at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey guys. Wh- </span>
  <em>
    <span>whoa!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mechanic’s greeting turned into a shout as he overextended his wave: arms pinwheeling frantically to try to regain his balance. Piper gasped audibly as gravity won out, watching as Leo crashed to the deck with an undignified yelp. Jason was moving a split second before her, rushing up the gangplank. Piper followed at his heels, arriving on deck to see Leo propping himself up on his elbows, rubbing one hand behind his neck as a wince stole across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow…” The mechanic grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ow?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Piper’s voice cracked slightly, her heart still racing as Jason offered the hispanic a hand up. “You just took a </span>
  <em>
    <span>seven foot</span>
  </em>
  <span> tumble and all you say is ‘ow’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um…” Leo blinked in confusion, glancing at Jason then back at Piper. “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why weren’t you wearing a safety harness?” Piper scolded, “You made me wear one when I came by a few weeks ago- so don’t say you don’t have any.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo, who had opened his mouth, closed it with a snap, mocha cheeks coloring slightly. “Geez, Beauty Queen, chill. I know what I’m doing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Falling, apparently.” The Daughter of Aphrodite retorted. But her tone was lighter, the panic from seeing her friend fall already starting to fade away. The mechanic huffed, reaching up to accept Jason’s offered hand, the taller demigod easily hauling Leo to his feet with casual muscle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” Jason asked simply, a modicum of concern still tinting his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m good.” Leo answered seriously, before his trademark grin split his face. “You know me, Superman, they don’t call me hard headed for nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason chuckled while Piper rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway,” Leo bent down to pick up the fallen hammer. “What brings you guys to Bunker Nine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You missed dinner.” Piper answered, folding her arms across her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo nearly dropped the mallet, fingers fumbling on the wooden tool as his head swiveled to stare at them in shock. “What? I did?” Chocolate eyes snapped over to the clock on the wall. “No, that can’t be right it’s only 5:50.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason frowned at the clock, watching it for a moment. Piper did as well and quickly realized that Leo must’ve mistook the minute hand for the hour hand. He’d switched their positions, reading the clock backwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo blinked, long and slow, seeming to come to the same realization. His voice was quiet and hesitant when he spoke (two words Piper never thought she’d never use when describing the hispanic). “What… what time is it now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“10:25.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thunk</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo stared down at the dropped tool with wide eyes, making no move to pick it up. There was a strange expression on his face, something that looked like… shame. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But, no, that couldn’t be right</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Piper shook her head slightly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is Leo we’re talking about; Energetic, goofy, little-brother-like Leo. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He always had a ready smile or a cringe-worthy joke to lighten the mood, and was always so carefree when he hung out with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet, the hispanics next words were strained. “So that means I- the show’s already- I… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maldito!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” With a swift kick the mallet was sent skittering across the workshop, smashing into a pile of scrap metal with a loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>clang</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper and Jason exchanged a concerned look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay-”</span>
</p><p><span>“No, it’s </span><em><span>not</span></em><span> okay!” Leo snapped back at Jason, running a hand through his disheveled hair as he paced towards the bow a few steps before turning back. “I </span><em><span>promised</span></em><span> the others</span> <span>I would be there to watch it. They worked </span><em><span>so</span></em><span> hard to get it done and they were so excited to show if to everyone, and I- how could I-” He let out a noise of frustration, fingers gripping his hair tightly. “I should’ve been paying closer attention to the time. </span><em><span>No puedo creer que me lo perdiera</span></em><span>- </span><em><span>soy un gran idiota!</span></em><span>”</span></p><p>
  <span>And that was about enough of that. Piper may not be fluent in Spanish, but she knew a few words from her time at the Wilderness School and she recognized the last four. She stepped forwards, reaching out and grabbing Leo’s elbow to stop his movements, turning the hispanic to face her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are many things, Leo Valdez- a jokester, a workaholic, a pyromaniac- but an idiot is not one of those things.” Piper said firmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Son of Hephaestus fidgeted slightly, but didn’t try to pull away, his eyes finding the floor suddenly incredibly interesting. His demeanor reminded Piper of a child waiting to be scolded from stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. The Daughter of Aphrodite continued in a gentler tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not your fault you misread the clock, you’ve been working yourself hard trying to finish the ship, so it’s understandable that you would make a few mistakes. No one blames you for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides, you didn’t miss the </span>
  <em>
    <span>whole</span>
  </em>
  <span> show.” Jason added. “It only started fifteen minutes ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but-” Leo made a weak gesture towards the door. “By the time we get back-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoever said we had to go back?” Jason interrupted, raising an eyebrow. “The workshop does have roof access, doesn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yes, but why…” Understanding dawned on the mechanics face and he nodded, shoulders lifting slightly from their drooped position. “Yeah, that- that could work. Follow me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned, leading them through to the back of Bunker Nine and up a small set of spiral stairs. With each step the tension in the Leo’s posture lessened, and Piper smiled softly, making a silent promise to check in on her friend more often. By the time they got to the roof, Leo was back to his smiling self, opening the door with a dramatic flourish that made Piper giggle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The outside air was crisp and cool, a soft wind rippling across the top of the trees. A loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>pop</span>
  </em>
  <span> split the sky, the blue and green firework exploding into existence above the canopy. Leo, Jason, and Piper sat back on the shallow roof, three sets of eyes fixed upon the aerial light show.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few moments passed in companionable silence. Then Leo cleared his throat, saying, “Thanks, guys. A-and I’m sorry about not meeting you for dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing to apologize for, Leo.” Piper flashed him a smile, having to turn her head slightly. “But- just so you know- you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> allowed to take a break from working once in a blue moon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A grimace flashed across Leo’s face, but it was gone in an instant, leaving Piper to wonder if it had even been there at all of if it was some trick of the light. The mechanic proceeded to feign shock, gasping dramatically and slapping a pam to his forehead. “You mean the mythical concept of ‘breaks’ is real? By the gods- I must tell the others of this discovery at once!” He declared sarcastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason laughed. “You’re not funny, Valdez.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Leo’s smirk grew. “Just like how you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally</span>
  </em>
  <span> not laughing right now, Grace?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m only laughing because the joke was so terrible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s ridiculous!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> ridiculous.” Piper chuckled, hooking one arm around each boy’s shoulder: Leo on her left, Jason on the right. As their laughter died down and the demigods returned their attention to the stars, Piper realized she wouldn’t want to have it any other way. “Happy New Years, you guys.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Piper and Jason come to save the day! (Mostly Piper if we're being honest)</p><p>Hope you all enjoyed! As always, feel free to drop me a comment or critique down below- Have a wonderful wednesday!</p><p>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The one with Jason on guard duty while Leo tries to steal a Twinkie. </p><p>Spoiler: he gets caught.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Wow- this is a late-day update! Got a bit busy with school and work this past week, been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, in all seriousness. Good thing I have my priorities straight! (She says, updating a fanfiction story as the world explodes around her)</p><p>Ahem- anyway! Here we go with entry 7! Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #7: Salt and Stone</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jason rubbed at tired eyes, suppressing a yawn as he slipped a hand through his jacket sleeve. The digital alarm clock at his bedside flashed at him angrily: bright red numbers declaring that it was way too early to be awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, the Son of Jupiter had a job to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The screen door slammed shut behind him, the noise reverberating through the empty cabin. It had taken some getting used to- being all alone in what was essentially an entire house. But as the only Son of Zues- Jupiter, technically, but they didn’t have cabins for the Roman gods- Jason didn’t exactly have any bunkmates. Piper would come over and hang out with him on occasion, it was a nice place to find some peace and quiet from the overall bustle of the camp. For the most part, however, it was… kinda lonely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shaking off the thought, Jason jogged over to the central fire pit, breaths fogging in the frosty night air. It was nearly a month past new years, and yet the climate remained as frigid as Khione’s icy palace. Four other campers were already gathered, all of them huddling around the blaze for warmth. All had donned jackets and gloves, and Jason regretted not bringing his own, instead shoving his hands in his pockets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will Solace glanced up at his arrival, bangs as yellow as his father’s dominion shifting in front of his eyes, making him squint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning.” Jason nodded in greeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it?” The Son of Apollo’s nose scrunched up even as his lips smiled. “As far as I know, morning doesn’t officially start until the sun comes up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the other demigods- a thin, curly-haired teen- snorted. “If it’s no longer yesterday, but instead yesterday’s tomorrow, then technically it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> the morning of today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave it to a Stoll brother to make simple concepts like morning and night more confusing.” Will grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The comment elicited a round of chuckles from the demigods; the Stoll brothers were famous for their pranks and quick wits. Travis and Connor- twins of mischief. Not that Jason knew which one was here now. The Son of Jupiter had only seen them around camp a few times, but the twins were truly identical: in both appearance and mindset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least I don’t have to deal with two of you at once.” Will continued. “Anyway, now that we’re all here, I can start handing out the assignments.” Laughs turned to groans. “Oh come now,” The Son of Apollo scolded, “everyone in camp has to take their turn. It’s not my fault we all got selected for the darkest, coldest shift.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will unfolded a sheet of paper, squinting in the low light at the neatly penned letters. “Marie Johnson, you’ll patrol the shoreline. Connor Stoll, the stables, armory, and arena. Henry Mancin, you take the strawberry fields and the big house. Jason Grace-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason straightened slightly at being addressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-the amphitheater, climbing wall, and mess hall. And I will be patrolling Thalias Pine, the courts, and the arts and crafts pavillion.” Will concluded, folding the paper and pocketing the orders. “Stay awake and stay alert. Last week Butch reported that someone had raided the art supply closet: whoever it was took a dozen bricks of clay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no!” Connor Stoll cried mockingly. “Not the clay! However will we make pots and plates, and beads for our necklaces?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will leveled the Son of Hermes with a flat look. “Maybe next this mystery thief will steal swords from the armory, or pegasi from the stables, or twinkies from the kitchen-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that’s a real crime right there, that is.” Connor interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regardless,” Will sighed. “Eyes peeled. And report anything suspicious to myself or Chiron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so their watch began; the five chosen demigods parting ways. Jason’s path took him around the shore of Canoe Lake, the water rippling gently with the wind, reflected starlight twinkling among the waves. If it weren’t so cold, the Son of Jupiter would be tempted to sit at the water’s edge and watch the crescent moon make its lazy way across the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he’d come back tomorrow night with Piper. She’d enjoy the view as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thick gust of wind tore through his light jacket and Jason shiverred, drawing his jacket tighter. On second thought, he’d take Piper out on a moonlit walk some other day, when it wasn’t so gods damned cold. The Son of Jupiter forced his still feet to move, hoping that the motion would keep out the chill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Guard duty was boring. Walk over here, look over there, walk some more. Not that Jason didn’t understand the reasoning for it. Ever since Gaea’s plan had been unearthed (Jason internally snorted at the pun) monster activity had spiked. Chiron had forbidden any more quests from being issued, and demigods were not allowed to take day-long vacations to the city. Training had increased, and fun activities like capture the flag were becoming more and more of a rarity. All of which had led to a stirring of cabin fever, and consequently, a need for nightly patrols.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason strolled through the amphitheater, the sloped stadium abnormally quiet. Then again, he supposed that everything would be abnormally quiet at two o’clock in the morning. As he’d been instructed, the Son of Jupiter took his time, scanning the area with a critical eye. A glint near the base of the seating area drew the demigod over, a flash of silver among the muted grey concrete.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A candy wrapper. The Son of Jupiter tucked the piece of trash into his pocket, making a mental note to remind the others to clean up after themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time and distance were slowly eaten up as Jason meandered past the climbing wall. Again the demigod was struck with how different parts of the camp looked after dark. No lava flowed down the side of the wall, no water or rocks threatening to dislodge from the side. Under the moonlight it looked like any other carnival climbing wall- albeit much bigger than one you’d find at a county fair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason made two passes around the area before moving on. Tired feet scuffed in the dirt as he headed towards the mess hall. The Son of Jupiter suppressed another yawn as he passed through the pavillion, shaking his head in a poor attempt to wake himself up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pavillion was gigantic. Ten times the size of a single cabin, and five times as wide. Wooden tables and benches stretched the length of the open air dining room, casting long shadows against the raised floor. There were twelve tables in total, one for each of the major Greek gods. From what he’d been told, there used to be strict rules about who was allowed to sit where and at which table. Apparently, those rules were discarded after the fabled Percy Jackson had saved the world from the Titan Kronos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just to the left of the pavillion was the mess hall itself- a long kitchen area where the majority of the food stores were kept. While Mr. D had enchanted the goblets to remain full, the plates worked differently. The food had to be prepared ahead of time before magically appearing on the plates.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Clang</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason’s head snapped over at the sound. It had come from inside the mess hall. Slipping his hand into his pocket to finger his golden coin, the Son of Jupiter made his way towards the door to the kitchen. He pressed himself to the wall, flipping the coin and gripping the spear that formed with both hands. As he drew closer to the door, Jason saw that the magical padlock had been picked, the metal links draped over the doorknob in an attempt to hide the fact it was unlocked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a faint sound of shuffling from inside, and the muted </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump</span>
  </em>
  <span> of something being set upright. Jason inched forwards, peering inside but all he could make out was a small flame, roughly the size of that on a scented candle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving slowly and quietly as not to alert the intruder, Jason nudged the well-oiled door open with his foot, slipping into the dark room. Among the deeper shadows was the distinct outline of a person standing on a stool, stretched on their toes with one hand reaching towards something on the top shelf of the pantry racks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thief hadn’t noticed his presence, Jason repositioning himself so that he was standing next to the light switch. Taking a breath, the Son of Jupiter flipped it on. Night turned to day within the mess hall; half a dozen fluorescent quasar lights bursting to life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a squak of surprise as the intruder lurched back, teetered precariously on the edge of the stool, thin arms windmilling for a moment before the imbalance forced the stool to topple. The thief grabbed at the shelves, snagging onto the second from the top only for the aged wooden shelf to snap under the unexpected load. A puff of white smoke enveloped the kitchen as a sack of flour plopped onto the floor. The intruder tumbled to the ground with a thud, and Jason stepped forwards, spear leveled at the figure as the flour settled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Leo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hispanic blinked in the sudden illumination, one hand thrown up to protect his eyes while he coughed. His entire front had been dusted in the powder, coating his normally dark skin and hair a stark white. Chocolate eyes blinked a few times, squinting up at the Son of Jupiter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fly boy? Is that you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason sighed at the nickname, returning his weapon to it’s coin form before reaching out a hand to help the Son of Hephaestus from the floor. “What in Hades are you doing? You know no one’s supposed to be out past curfew. If Chiron-” The reprimand died on his lips as he spotted the burlap sack that lay open at the hispanics feet. “Is that... table salt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo took the offered hand, hauling himself to his feet and patting down his clothes. He was wearing the same combination of white shirt and suspenders as he always did, with his magical toolbelt strapped around his waist. Small clouds of flour were released as he beat the fabric, hanging hazily in the air before settling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup.” He answered simply, snatching a rag from where it hung over the stove and wiping down his face. The action left streaks of white in contrast to his naturally tanned skin; looking like a guerilla fighter in camo from the old black and white movies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Jason pressed: realizing Leo didn’t think there was anything strange at all in stealing table salt at 2:30 in the morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why what?” Leo frowned, following the Son of Jupiter’s line of sight and letting out a soft ‘ah’ as he caught on. “Oh, I need it for the fire detection system.” His powdered cheeks colored slightly as he glanced at the top shelf. “I just got greedy with the twinky; I missed dinner and my stomach wouldn’t stop reminding me. Why do they keep those things on the top shelf anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably to stop people from sneaking in and stealing them in the night.” Jason crossed his arms, watching Leo bend down to pick up the sack of stolen goods before adding, “Not that anyone would think of doing something like that, what with the new curfew restrictions and punishments.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s hand paused in its motion, a pinch forming between the hispanics brow. “Since when is there a curfew?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As of two weeks ago. Chiron set it up when one of the Hermes kids tried to teepee the Aires cabin after lights out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Son of Hephaestus chuckled. “Bet they deserved it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bet that Hermes kid regretted it once Chiron assigned him stables duty for a month.” Jason countered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>month</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Leo’s eyes widened. “Just for throwing some toilet paper over the roof of a cabin?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Imagine what the punishment would be for someone who stole all of the kitchens table salt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was hard for Jason not to laugh as the hispanics face became nearly as white as the flour covering the floor. The mechanic’s head whipped up so fast it dislodged more of the cooking ingredient from his hair, sending him sputtering as he tried to speak without inhaling the cloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t- you wouldn’t- </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jason, please don’t tell Chiron!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh it’s Jason now? Not Fly Boy? Or Superman?” Jason smirked as Leo stumbled over his words. As much fun as it was to watch his friend squirm, the Son of Jupiter didn’t plan on letting him suffer for long. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>might</span>
  </em>
  <span> be convinced to keep quiet.” He said, the seven words effectively stymying Leo’s babble. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>If </span>
  </em>
  <span>you can explain to me </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the world you need </span>
  <em>
    <span>salt</span>
  </em>
  <span> for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fire</span>
  </em>
  <span> detection system.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo snagged the offered lifeline, a breath of relief slipping between his lips. “Oh, that’s easy- see, I was experimenting with a new type of detection system, because the old spot detection method is just too unreliable.” As he spoke, the hispanic moved, righting the toppled stool and sitting down with the sack of salt cradled in his lap. The initial panic in his eyes were replaced with excitement as Leo’s hands gestured alongside his explanation. “Nyssa had heard of this new system that used gas and pressure to sense temperature changes. An inner metal core absorbs the gas at low temperatures and releases it when it gets hot, filling the tube and closing a switch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’m missing something,” Jason interrupted, “but what does salt have to do with gas?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely nothing.” Leo answered with a grin. “Using the gas system wouldn’t work for the Argo because of natural pressure changes with altitude. But it got me thinking- what if it wasn’t a gas, but a current in the metal filament? Pass a current from the filament to the tube, ground the tube to the hull and bam!” Leo clapped his hands together. “You’ve got a warning circuit. Of course, it needs to be able to turn on and off according to temperatures. What good is a fire detection system that can’t detect a fire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As interesting as the electricity lesson was, Jason still wasn’t seeing how this related to Leo’s midnight excursion. He opened his mouth to say as much but Leo held up a hand to stall the question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m getting to the salt.” The hispanic said, almost as if he could read the Son of Jupiter’s mind. “After experimenting with some various concoctions, I found out that a mixture of eutectic salt would insulate the filament from the tube at cool temperatures, and provide a low enough resistance when heated for current to pass at high temperatures.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eutectic?” The foreign word tasted strange on Jason's tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo nodded, smile growing wider at the prompting for more information. “Basically, you melt table salt and clay and mix the two together. When it solidifies, you roll the resulting concoction into small beads- a tenth of the size of a pea- and stuff them into the tube between the wall and the filament! Then presto manifesto, abra kadabra- we have ourselves a foolproof fire alarm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason shook his head in amazement: leave it to Leo Valdez to find a way to use salt in his machines. The hispanic could probably make a catapult with nothing but a handful of wires, a bottle cap, and an old sock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” The Son of Jupiter conceded. “I won’t tell Chiron. But you’ll have to clean up this mess.” He gestured to the flour and the broken shelf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo gave a mock salute. “Yes, sir, Superman, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the full explanation of how Leo planned to use the salt registered and Jason pursed his lips. “Where are you going to get the clay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo started guiltily, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “Uh, well…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You</span>
  <em>
    <span> were </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one who raided the arts supplies!” The Son of Jupiter realized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will neither confirm nor deny it.” The hispanic said, raising his chin defiantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason raised an eyebrow. “So if I head over to Bunker Nine right now I won’t find a few bags of crafting clay sitting in a corner somewhere?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not if I get there first.” The mechanic mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you say something?” Leo opened his mouth to respond, but Jason continued before the hispanic could get a word out. “Now, I really should go tell Chiron about this breach of camp rules…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...but?” Leo prompted, wringing his hands nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, if someone were to offer to do my laundry for a month-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A week.” The Son of Hephaestus interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two weeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One.” Leo winced as his own words came out unusually harsh. His eyes dropped from Jason’s and his shoulders drooped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In that moment, Leo didn’t look like the clever, cocky Son of Hephaestus. He just looked like any exhausted teen with too much homework. It wasn’t right, Jason thought, for Leo to not be smiling and joking and laughing. The hispanic wasn’t supposed to look so defeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo rubbed his forehead. “We’re only barely on schedule with the Argo’s construction. I don’t have time to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright.” Jason cut him off, placing a hand on the smaller boys shoulder. He offered up a smile. “One week. But I also get half of your dessert for that same time period.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ghost of a smirk cracked the mechanics lips. “Heh, deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving the Son of Hephaestus to his cleaning duty, Jason made his way back to the ring of cabins. Thanks to the detour, he was the last to return to the central fire pit. Will raised an eyebrow as the Son of Jupiter sauntered up to the flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Find anything?” He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, actually.” Jason answer drew the attention of the other four demigods. Slowly, he drew out the crumpled candy wrapper from his pocket, tossing it into the fire. “Don’t forget to make sure your cabinmates clean up after themselves.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>I wish everyone the best of Friday evenings and start to the weekend! See you again on Sunday!</p><p>Oh, and per usual- feel free to drop me a comment if you have the time/energy/willpower to do so- I love hearing what y'all think :)</p><p>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Leo tries coffee...</p><p>...this can't be good.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Another part 1 of 2? What does the author think this is, some kind of coherent narrative??? She must be crazy.</p><p>She also decided to speak in third person for this beginning note section for some reason so- well... if the shoe fits...</p><p>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #8: Coffee and Compressors 1</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Leo was not a morning person. He was very much so the stay-up-all-night-<em> until </em>-morning person. But early wake ups he just could not seem to do.</p><p>The Son of Hephaestus had tried to go to bed at a reasonable hour (1:00 a.m. was reasonable, despite what his bunk mates seemed to think), he’d honestly tried. And yet he couldn’t fall asleep. Leo found himself staring up at the bed above his own, thoughts and ideas rolling a million miles an hour through his head and fingers itching to write them down: because he knew if he didn’t put something down <em> now </em> then he would forget it again in ten minutes.</p><p>Nyssa has all but forced him into a bed after the third time she’d caught him getting up to sneak off to the lower workshop in their cabin. Saying, in no uncertain terms, that if he were to leave his bed again before the sun rose she would get Clovis to knock him out for a full day. And that was a delay he could not afford right now; so stay in bed he did.</p><p>All of which culminated in the very tired, and very disheveled looking Hispanic that stumbled to the dining pavilion table the next morning. His hands automatically grabbed a plate and started shoveling food onto it. </p><p>“Leo?”</p><p>The Son of Hephaestus frowned at the familiar voice. Leo? That was his name, wasn’t it? Oh- someone was trying to talk to him. Yeah. That would make sense as to why someone would say his name.</p><p>“Earth to Leo? Dude, you look awful.”</p><p>Ah. It was Jason.</p><p>“Nah man,” the words were leaving his lips before his mind had time to process them. “I make awful look <em> good </em>. You’ve never seen someone make looking bad so attractive.”</p><p>Jason snorted. “Well, if you’re cracking jokes this early in the morning you must be fine.”</p><p>“Hey guys! What’s- oh my… Leo, are you okay?”</p><p>Another voice. Slightly less gruff. Piper, his mind supplied after a long moment in which Leo simply peered at the new arrival with a pinched brow.</p><p>“...Leo?” Piper cleared her throat. “You’re uh, staring. I don’t have something on my face, do I?” She turned suddenly to Jason, a slight note of panic entering her tone. “I swear if the others put glitter on my face overnight-”</p><p>“Chill Pipes, you’re fine. Beautiful as always.” Leo interrupted, popping an overly juicy grape into his mouth. “My brain is still starting up, that’s all.” He twirled his finger in a circle off to the side of his head before pulling some more grapes from the platter at the table along with two pieces of crispy bacon.</p><p>Piper made a face at the meat selection, reaching for the toast and jam. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand everyone’s fascination with bacon.”</p><p>Jason, who was coincidentally mid bite of his own strip of pork, pointed said food at Piper. “Hey, just because you don’t like meat doesn’t mean you can just go around insulting bacon.”</p><p>“Bacon is a gift from the gods.” Leo proclaimed, holding up one of the pieces as if he were saluting with a sword. “We mere mortals are blessed to have been allowed to taste its holy deliciousness, and savor its greasy glory.”</p><p>“See?” Piper gestured in the Hispanic’s direction. “If someone ever wanted to capture you two, all they’d need is a fresh plate of bacon.”</p><p>“And we’d go willingly.” Leo smirked, chomping on the food and speaking while he chewed. “I mean, have you <em> smelled </em> this stuff?” And to demonstrate, he took an exaggerated sniff, filling his nostrils with the mouth-watering smell of bacon and… something else.</p><p>Leo frowned, sniffing again.</p><p>It was an earthy scent, but not in a bad way. Nutty, with hints of warm caramel. The mechanic quickly deduced that the smell was coming from the mug situated just next to Piper’s plate, and he leaned over slightly to get a better look at the dark, swirling substance within.</p><p>“Uh, Leo… what are you doing?”</p><p>In lieu of answering Jason, Leo pointed to the ceramic mug. “What’s that?”</p><p>Piper glanced down at the drink and back up. “My coffee? What about it?”</p><p>“It smells really good! Where’d you get it?”</p><p>The Daughter of Aphrodite blinked at him a few times, spring green eyes portraying her confusion. “Up at the drink table. Where it is every day, next to the tea.” A realization overtook her features before she asked. “Have you seriously never had coffee before?”</p><p>Leo shrugged. “Nah, I always thought that was one of those grown-up drinks. Like beer.”</p><p>“No, it’s- well, here, do you want a taste?” She said, offering up the mug.</p><p>“Sure!”</p><p>The drink tasted nothing like it smelled. Leo very nearly spat it out, but if he did he would ruin Piper’s perfectly clean shirt and he wouldn’t allow himself to do that. So instead he pulled a face, swallowing the hot, bitter liquid.</p><p>“Gods that’s nasty!” Leo shuddered, placing the drink as far away from him as he could. “How do you stomach that stuff? It tastes worse than hydraulic fluid!”</p><p>Piper laughed, the sound so light and carefree that Leo felt proud to have drawn it from her. “I couldn’t at first.” She admitted. “I hated the taste too, had to dump egregious amounts of sugar into my first dozen cups in order to drink it.”</p><p>“Ah… well, that explains why you’re so sweet.”</p><p>The compliment brought a dusting of pink to the Daughter of Aphrodite’s cheeks. A beautiful rose pink that even the prettiest of Aphrodite’s children rarely had. Jason was <em>super</em> lucky to be her girlfriend, the hispanic thought. And Leo was <em>not</em> going to dwell on the stab of jealousy that punctured his heart because nope- it had no right being there. Jason and Piper were his friends, and they were happy together, and he was happy because they were happy, and <em>why</em> was his sleep-addled brain making him think about these things now, of all times?</p><p>Leo thunked his head down on the table with a groan, hoping the dull throbbing would force his mind to focus on something else. “How do you guys do it?” He asked, voice muffled into the wooden surface. “Waking up early sucks.”</p><p>He felt more than saw Jason shrug next to him. “Embrace the suck?”</p><p>“Pretty much.” Piper agreed. There was a pause before she continued. “Let me… I have an idea, I’ll be right back.”</p><p>The sound of a scraping bench signaled her departure and Leo turned his face sideways so that Jason’s face and upper torso was clearly skewed in his vision; the coarse wood grain scratching against his cheek in a somewhat soothing way. The Son of Juputer was regarding the Hispanic warily, a modicum of worry etched into his features.</p><p>“So what happened to you last night? Did you stay up to steal more twinkies from the kitchens?”</p><p>“I told you that only happened twice.” Leo grumped. “But nah, it’s worse: Nys made me go to bed early.”</p><p>“And that’s bad because....”</p><p>“It’s thrown off my whole sleep schedule!” The hispanic picked his head up, rubbing a hand down his face. “My internal body clock feels off and I can’t well reach inside and reset it because it’s an imaginary concept that has very real-world effects.”</p><p>Oh good, now he was back to rambling. Only this time he was doing so aloud.</p><p>“Why didn’t you just sneak out?” Leo raised an eyebrow to which Jason responded by rolling his eyes. “I know you have, like, a dozen ways to sneak out of the cabin past curfew. Why not wait until Nyssa fell asleep and then do what you needed to do.”</p><p>“...Because <em> Nyssa </em> told me to go to bed.” The Son of Hephaestus answered seriously. He’d long since learned never to cross an angry, determined Nys.</p><p>Jason snorted. “What is she- your mom?”</p><p>Leo knew he didn’t mean it that way. And from the obvious wince that stole across Jason’s expression his friend knew he’d messed up. But it didn’t stop the Hispanic’s heart from twisting painfully.</p><p>“Leo, I didn’t mean-”</p><p>“More like the worlds worst nanny.” Leo said loudly, cutting off Jason’s apology with a wave of his hand. “Honestly, she’s more strict than Nanny McFee.”</p><p>“You think what I did last night was strict?”</p><p>At the familiarly stern female voice Leo’s shoulder hiked up to his ears defensively. He turned guiltily to see said powerhouse of brawn glaring at him with the intensity of the forge’s fire. “N-Nys! Hey, we were <em> just </em> talking about how awesome you were! How not even a nanny could hold a candle to you, right Jason?”</p><p>The Son of Jupiter just sent him a confused look. Leo could’ve happily smacked him.</p><p>“Fine.” Nyssa huffed, “Next time I’ll let you work yourself to death before dragging you out of the underworld to kill you myself.”</p><p>“Aww, I knew you cared.” Leo quipped as the older girl stalked away towards the far tables, where his other half-brothers and sisters were chatting lively.</p><p>Nyssa responded by holding her hand up in a gesture that would definitely have elicited a scolding from Chiron had the centaur been present.</p><p>Leo kept up the smile and wave until he was sure his cabinmate was out of earshot this time. Then he groaned, leaning his head back to stare at the top of the pavillion. “Gods, could this day get any worse? It’s not even lunch for Zeus’ sake and I’m already getting death threats.”</p><p>“You’re scared of her?” It was less of a question than a statement from his friend.</p><p>“Terrified.” Leo confirmed sincerely. “Though to be fair, the worst she does is knock me out because, and I quote, she thinks I need to remind my body that closing my eyes was possible. So I like reminding us both that it happens because she cares. Once you know the kinds of insanely deadly weapons she can make with just a spoon, a ruler, and exactly three paperclips, you would be scared too. Trust me.” </p><p>Jason seemed to not fully comprehend the level of fear he should be experiencing, seeing as he was smiling fondly at something, but Leo was too tired to properly explain the terror that was a mechanic with the tools and motivation for mayhem. </p><p>“Who are we supposed to be afraid of?”</p><p>Piper was back. And she had another white mug in her hands.</p><p>“Oh, just the most feared mechanic in all of Cabin Nine.” Leo waved off the discussion, deciding to focus on the more pressing matter. “Why did you bring more of that nasty concoction and why are you now putting it down in front of me?”</p><p>With a roll of her eyes, Piper sat back down. “It’s for you, because I don’t want to sway your view of coffee just because you don’t like the way I take mine. You can prepare coffee in different ways,” she continued at Leo’s silence. “Just because you don’t like it one way doesn’t mean you won’t like it another so…”</p><p>She let the sentence hang, but Leo had gotten the gist. Try it, you might like it.</p><p>This time, the liquid inside was a lighter brown, not as dark as Piper’s. Doubtful due to his first experience with coffee, but trusting his friends judgement, Leo cautiously picked up the mug and tipped some of the brew into his mouth. The bitterness was subtle, overshadowed by the sweet warmth in such a way that Leo barely noticed. It was more of a sharp aftertaste that somehow mixed well with the initial sugary sensation.</p><p>Leo took another sip, a deeper draft this time, finding the hot mixture surprisingly comforting in the cool morning air.</p><p>“I guess he likes it,” Jason ventured, after Leo’s third time tasting it without making a face.</p><p>“It’s no bad.” He confirmed. “Just… different.”</p><p>Piper smiled at him. “It’s more of an acquired taste. But once you get used to it it’s almost as addicting as bacon.”</p><p>The Hispanic snorted. “Uh-huh, sure.”</p><p>By the time breakfast was done, he had finished the entire mug and was brimming with newfound energy. Hands itching to get back to the Bunker and work on something- anything, really, so long as he was moving. Actually, his whole body felt rather stagnant at the moment, save his foot which appeared to be trying to bore a hole in the concrete with how fast it was tapping.</p><p>“Well, it was great catching up with you guys.” Leo said with a smile, and if his words seemed to exit his mouth faster than usual he didn’t really notice. “But I’ve got places to be, people to pester, and a flying ship to build, so I’ll catch you later.”</p><p>He stood up so fast he nearly tripped over the bench, wobbling for a precarious moment before righting himself with a dramatic flair of hands out to either side of his body. “And he sticks the landing!” Leo announced proudly, laughing at his own joke before making his way out of the dining pavillion.</p><p>As he left, he caught the fading voice of Piper as she whispered to Jason, “I… think I may have just made a big mistake.”</p><p>“It’s just one cup of coffee.” Jason replied casually. “What’s the worst that can happen?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Oh man... Piper what have you done???<br/>Also- I know that ADHD kids having coffee usually makes them calmer, but- I mean, so in this case- what I'm trying to say is I'm not in the medical field for a reason, and this is fanfiction, and so y'all are just gonna have to deal with it. Honestly it's just a head cannon of mine that Leo + Coffee = CHAOS!!!</p><p>Anyway- as always, your comments give me sustenance, and I am starving. If you have the time/want to share your thoughts with me I always appreciate them :)</p><p>Until Tuesday!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Leo experiences his first caffeine high, and his first caffeine crash.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>A late update- I know. The reason why is because I was debating going back and just re-editing this chapter (like, a hefty re-edit) because I realized the 'caffeine high' moment is a bit downplayed. But then I realized everyone experiences different kinds of caffeine energy bursts and decided, "eh, wtheck, I'll roll with it" so here we have Leo being highly productive!</p><p>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #9: Coffee and Compressors 2</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next five hours passed in a blur.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo has a feeling that they’d actually made a lot of progress on the Argo II, but he couldn’t really remember any of the precise details as to </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>they’d done, exactly. Something about the internal structure… and he was ninety-three percent sure Nysa had mentioned something about an idea for weaponry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ninety-three percent because the other seven percent of his brain had been consumed with an idea for defensive plating along the bulwarks. The Son of Hephaestus imagined a line of shields lining the railings, large, circular Greek hoplon shields with designs of heroes on the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nah, that would be too cheesy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Leo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shaking off the thought of hull-braced protection, Leo glanced to his left. The speaker was one of his half-siblings, a sandy-blond haired girl with belted black cargo pants and a camp t-shirt whoose orange sleeves had been cut off. Her hair was pulled back into a simple plait, a half-dozen hairbands on one wrist and a plain black timepiece on the other. A pair of safety glasses were propped on her temple and she had a splash of freckles across her nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo searched his mind for a name: Cabin Nine had the fourth most residents after Hermes, Aires, and Aphrodite. “How goes it,” He smiled. “It’s, uh, Diana right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daynah, actually,” She corrected. “Everyone just calls me Day, or D, or ‘hey you’ so…” The corner of her mouth twitched up momentarily, but then she cleared her throat. “But, anyway, I was calibrating the engine tachometer a while ago and I noticed something was…. Off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Off?” Leo clarified. “Like, missing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not exactly. Well, technically speaking yes. But it’s not a component.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo frowned. “Explain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In order to obtain flight, you have to overcome gravity, and in order to overcome gravity, you need a certain amount of power from the engines.” Daynah said, moving her hands as she talked. “When I went to calibrate the engine tachometer, I noticed that the power is missing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm...continue explaining.” Leo et his eyes shift to observe where the engines were mounted to the lower side of the hull squinting at the turbine fans as if he could somehow physically see RPM indications.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and Jake calculated that it would take 127,900 pounds of thrust to achieve liftoff. But the readings I received were maxing out at 122,600.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s focus snapped back to his half-sibling. “What? But those engines should be producing more than enough power. Are you sure the instrument is reading right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daynah shrugged. “I replaced it twice just to be sure. Maybe your math is off? No offense meant,” she hurried to add. “I know those kinds of calculations can be tricky- one missed detail can skew the numbers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made a good point. One Leo could hardly argue with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s possible.” The Hispanic mused. “I’ll take a look again, just in case. Hold off on the calibration for now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Leo half an hour to figure out why the numbers were off. They’d made the nozzles too small. The restricted orifice was affecting mass flow rate and reducing the overall output of the engine. The only problem was there was no way to increase the size of the nozzles with the current engine design.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Son of Hephaestus attacked the problem with enthusiasm, pulling out the original design and a clean sheet of drawing paper. Somehow he had to find a way to come up with the missing 5,300 pounds of thrust: he’d completed harder tasks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Numbers soon covered a half dozen pages, with more of the equations crossed out or scribbled over than not. Leo felt the start of a small headache after page seven was crumpled up and tossed into the waste bin. He was decent at math, certainly no Einstein, but capable; so </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> were the numbers refusing to make sense?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kept at it doggedly, another hour passing before a solution finally presented itself. It was almost time for the afternoon lunch break but Leo couldn’t stop now. Not with his head pounding with designs and ideas. The drafting table light blinked to life, backlighting the thin blueprint paper. Leo began blocking in the views, drawing heavy guidelines before starting to sketch the details.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t get them down fast enough, the dimensions practically bursting from his mind onto the page- Or maybe that was just a misinterpretation of his killer headache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo set down the pencil, reaching a hand up to massage his temple. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dios</span>
  </em>
  <span> but his head </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The minor nuisance had since evolved into a monstrous migraine. And once he noticed it, Leo realized just how </span>
  <em>
    <span>tired</span>
  </em>
  <span> his body felt. The hispanic sagged over the drafting table with a groan, trying to will away this sudden lack of energy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was feeling fine just an hour ago! And now he felt worse then when he woke up that morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look rough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So everyone keeps telling me.” Leo grumped, recalling his conversation with Piper and Jason. “What can I do you for, Jake?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake Mason slid into the stool next to him, leaning against the table. “Just checking in. You’ve been pretty all over the place today. I also brought you this.” He dangled a small bottle of aspirin above the table. “Nys said you drank an entire cup of coffee this morning?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never again.” Leo muttered, grabbing at the medicine bottle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha ha- yeah, I’ve been there too. What’s this?” Jake’s eyes lighted upon the drawing on the table, a curious hand reaching out to snatch the blueprint off of the drafting table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm? Oh, it’s the new engine design.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Leo added silently. He was still groggy from the caffeine crash. “The centrifugal compressor we have now won’t produce the thrust necessary for sustained flight. It’s my fault for not realizing the nozzles wouldn’t fit, should’ve done the calculations with a smaller mass flow rate, but I thought… are you even listening to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because it was very clear that the former head counselor of Cabin Nine was, in fact, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> paying attention to what Leo was saying. Jake was staring at the rough, hand-drawn sketch Leo had scratched out during his caffeine high, a pinch between his brows as his eyes jumped from one section of the draft to another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was another long moment before he spoke. “This is… an </span>
  <em>
    <span>axial</span>
  </em>
  <span> compressor? But then, why do the blades look like they’ve been dented along the length of their center?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo moved to stand over Jake’s shoulder, peering at his own design with a frown. Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> he changed the blade design? There was a reason, he knew there had to be. Chocolate eyes landed on a hastily scribbled note that for all the world looked like a toddler had tried to draw a worm. Oh! Right. That was why.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To help it fly stalled.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason finally looked up from the drawing, only to shoot a very surprised look Leo’s way. “Uh, isn’t a stall when you </span>
  <em>
    <span>lose</span>
  </em>
  <span> lift over an airfoil? Why would you want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>fly</span>
  </em>
  <span> in that condition?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo scratched the back of his head. “Well, yes and no- turbine stalls are when they no longer pull air through the engine; that’s why the blades are angled in the first place. If the air stagnates, then the engine will backfire. The channels- those dents- are to ensure it wont.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…. don’t get it.” Jake admitted, after a moment of silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think of it like this,” Leo grabbed a second sheet of paper, folding it as he spoke. “The turbine blades are the spokes of a windmill: When air moves over them, they turn. No air means no movement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He attached the hastily constructed craft to a spare pencil with a thumbtack; finishing the windmill. “Now what if you could force air where there wasn’t a breeze?” Leo blew against the fold of paper, sending the contraption spinning. “No more worries about stalling due to lack of wind! And, as a bonus, you can use it to increase engine power output.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The former head counselor nodded in understanding. “That’s a great idea in theory, but how are we supposed to make it happen in reality?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Hispanic moved back to Jake’s side, pointing to a section of the schematic, “That’s why this nozzle is here- to take bleed air and force it through the turbine blade channels. The channels, in turn, force the turbine to move, producing compressor bleed air. The bleed air runs back though the nozzle and voila! You’ve got a self-generating system. Once it’s spooled up it won’t stop until it’s shut down!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake was quiet for a long time, staring at the design with new insight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo fidgeted in the silence, his caffeine-starved mind roaming. There was something wrong with his idea. That must be why Mason hadn’t said anything. The materials were too heavy, or he’d miscalculated the pressure ratios, or maybe-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s brilliant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s hands stilled momentarily. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake rolled up the blueprint. “Leo, this is amazing. You’ve found a way to turbo-boost a turbine engine! That- I didn’t think that was even </span>
  <em>
    <span>possible</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” The Hispanic’s voice was an exhale. So then… his design… worked? In theory, at least. Leo shook himself from the relieved stupor. “That’s, uh, good. Great- actually! I’ll finish drafting the details tonight and we can get working on it tomorrow.” His head throbbed again. “But first, where’d you put that aspirin?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Isn't Jake just so nice? Big brother vibes for sure, you love to see it.</p><p>I hope everyone has a great Wednesday. I'll keep posting on the original schedule from here on out so look for the update tomorrow!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The time has arrived to get the Argo II airborne!!!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Happy Friday eve! We got another small 2-parter and then this story jumps into a LONG mini arc with a lot of Leo whump: you love to see it. After that mini arc it's onto the cannon story scenes and then this one will be caught up with my ff.net posts.</p><p>...this went a lot faster than I expected. O.o</p><p>Anyway- please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #10: Going Crazy</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The time was finally here.</p><p>Leo himself couldn’t believe the day had actually come. They’d done it. The Argo II was fully operational. At least the main systems were. There was still a small handful of minor subsystems that needed tweaking, but overall, the ship was ready.</p><p>It was Leo himself who wasn’t.</p><p>Annabeth had made it clear that the rescue group was to leave as soon as the Argo II could get airborne. And- somehow- Leo had been cosen as part of said group. As the Head Counselor of Cabin Nine, and the Argo II’s main mechanic, he would be tagging along with Jason, Piper, and the Daughter of Athena herself. Leo wasn’t quite sure how Jason and Piper had been roped into the whole thing, but he could guess it had something to do with the big prophecy of seven, or whatever it was called. Jason and Piper he could see as playing key roles in a fated apocalyptic poem- Jason with his powers of lightning and air, and Piper with her ability to charmspeak the very earth itself- but him?</p><p>Leo was just the repair boy. And a lousy one at that, seeing as it had been nearly four months and he <em> still </em> hadn’t managed to get Festus operational again. The hispanic’s heart twisted at the truth of his thoughts. He was probably only included so he could fly the others from Point A to Point B and fix the ship when things inevitably went wrong.</p><p>Which was fine, he told himself. He wanted to help his friends in any way he could. But he couldn’t stop the niggling feeling that he was taking up one of the seven slots that could be filled with someone more qualified.</p><p>The Son of Hephaestus sighed, running a hand through his hair as he opened the door to Bunker Nine.</p><p>For once, he wasn’t the first one there.</p><p>Leo pulled up short at seeing his youngest half-sibling bent over a drafting table, deep brown eyes skimming a set of schematics. There was a furrow to Harley’s brow as his eyes jumped between two pages of- Leo craned his head as he walked up- what looked to be electrical wiring diagrams. The kid’s messy hair was complimented by faint bags under his focused gaze, fingers drumming the table as he traced a wire with his other hand.</p><p>“You know, if you start skipping breakfast too, we’ll have to team up against Nyssa.” Leo quipped as he approached. “She’ll still probably win but we’ll have a fighting chance, at least.”</p><p>“Leo!” Harley turned around so fast Leo was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. The younger demigod’s motion sent the thin pages fluttering to the ground.</p><p>Harley’s eyes darted back over to the drawings with what Leo could only describe as panic (which didn’t really make sense, so the hispanic must’ve misinterpreted there), dropping to the floor and hastily scooping the stray pages into a pile.</p><p>Leo reached down to help, frowning as he saw the design layout. In his peripherals, he saw Harley freeze.</p><p>“You’re… are these Nyssa’s weapon designs?” The hispanic wondered aloud, casting his own glance over the paper.</p><p>“Uh… y-yeah.” Harley confirmed, letting out a breath as he rolled up the other pages. “I, um, just wanted to... check the electrical layout because I noticed someone had swapped around some diodes in- in another component.”</p><p>Leo didn’t miss the stumble in Harley’s words, and he knew well and good why it was there. “She doesn’t know you’re looking at them, does she?” At the kids shake of the head, Leo smiled gently, offering him the stray sheet. “Just make sure she knows what you’re doing. I know some of our half-siblings can be a bit… overzealous when it comes to their personal projects.”</p><p>Harley nodded his head, gaze ducked away from his Cabin Leader as he took the document back. “R-right. I’ll be sure to ask next time.”</p><p>“Good. Now go put these back before she comes in and rips <em> both </em> of our heads off for skipping the most important meal of the day.” Leo winked to let his younger sibling know he was joking. Well, partially joking, at any rate.</p><p>Leo busied himself at the control console while hs fellow demigods slowly filtered into the Bunker. The others went about their way, double checking the test equipment and making final adjustments to the Argo II before the official run up. Jake was the last to arrive, stumbling into the workshop with a breathy apology. His hair was windswept, as if he’d run most of the distance from camp to the Bunker.</p><p>“Ran into some Ares kids on their way to the arena.” He offered in explanation as he reached the control panel. “Couldn’t shake ‘em for a good five or so minutes.”</p><p>Leo looked over with concern. “Did they hurt you?”</p><p>“Did you hurt <em> them </em>?” Nyssa asked, casting an appraising gaze over the former Cabin Head for signs of an altercation.</p><p>“Nothing so dramatic.” Jake waved off their worries with an easygoing grin. “They called me a nerd and said we’ve been wasting our time with our stupid machines, and yadda yadda yadda- typical Aires taunts. They didn’t have any original material, which was kind of disappointing- back in my day they could be pretty creative with their bullying. I remember they tried to shove Percy’s head into a toilet on his first day.”</p><p>“They tried to shove the Son of <em> Poseidon’s </em> head into a bowl of water?” Harley snorted, fingers flying over the console as he prepped the controls for the test.</p><p>“Yeah, not so smart. Then again- we are talking about the Aires kids here. All brawn, no brain.”</p><p>Leo tuned out the rest of the conversation as Nyssa made a snarky comment that sent them all laughing. He was much more concerned with the fact that Jake had been confronted by the meatheads at all. Sure, the children of the war god were jerks, bullies in every sense of the word; and they naturally clashed with the children of Hephaestus (it was the whole “jocks v. nerds” thing from high-school all over again). There were more than a handful of incidents a week between the two cabins, but normally they only preyed on the younger or newer campers; Jake was a senior demigod, one of the oldest in Camp Half-Blood along with Annabeth and a few others. If even he wasn’t safe from their taunts anymore...</p><p>Leo would have to have a talk with their Cabin Leader later, try and find a way to end the harassment. They had too many things to worry about already without adding camp bullies to the list.</p><p>Things like the first, fully operational test run of the Argo II.</p><p>“Alright ladies and demi-men!” He announced over the loudspeaker. “It’s time for the Argo II to go on air!”</p><p>Jake sniggered from behind him. “That was, by far, your corniest joke to date.”</p><p>“Alright!” Leo pumped his fist into the air. “New record!” But his cheer was quickly overshadowed by the seriousness of their task. The hispanic Son of Hephaestus moved to the center console, taking a breath as he positioned his hands over the buttons and knobs. He took a deep breath, and cast one last look between Jake and Nyssa, the former shooting a double finger guns his way.</p><p>It was time to see what his baby could do.</p><p>Like a concert pianist performing Beethoven, Leo’s fingers danced over the control panel. The Argo II whirred to life a moment later, the engine purring smoothly like a newborn kitten. Leo glanced at the oil temperature and pressure gauge, watching with Harley as the instruments slowly rose to the proper indications. A few minutes later, the youngest demigod flashed Leo a smile and a thumbs up.</p><p>“All readings in the green.” He reported.</p><p>Leo nodded, doing his best to curb his rising enthusiasm. “So far so good. Let’s get the rest of her up and running.”</p><p>He tapped out a series of commands on the X-box controller, hearing and feeling the thrum of the pistons and actuators respond as the oars rose. Swiveling the joystick, they all observed the reactive movements of the stabilizers as the paddles rose, fell, and twisted as directed.</p><p>This time Leo couldn’t keep the smile from his face. It was working. It was <em> actually </em> working. From the similar sounds of excitement coming from his half-siblings, Leo wasn’t the only one feeding off of the successful aura in the Bunker.</p><p>Without hesitation, Leo turned on the final few switches to activate the redundancy backup system: a system whose job was to take over the function of any major component that failed. The engine’s responded in kind to the added system load, the whine of the turbine increasing in pitch as lights flickered to life on the control panel.</p><p>“Yeah baby!” Jake shouted from behind him, the grin evident in his voice. “Einstein eat your heart out!”</p><p>Leo laughed, feeling his eyes go moist with joy. His chest swelled with pride as he looked over the faces of his celebrating cabinmates. All of their hard work, all of the time and effort forced into this project for nearly a third of the year, and now it had finally paid off. Nyssa nodded in approval ad Harley flung himself at Leo, crushing the hispanics spine in a tight hug. Leo returned the embrace as the infectious feeling of accomplishment washed over the Bunker inhabitants. He half expected Jake to start up some kind of chant (probably one for a speech from their Cabin Head as this was the opportune moment for one) but before the former Head Counselor could speak, another sound reached Leo’s ears.</p><p>It was faint over the celebrations, and no one else was paying much attention, but Leo would know that sound anywhere.</p><p>The clicks and creaks of a morse code language only he could understand.</p><p>Leo’s breath hitched in his chest, Harley glancing up at him in confusion but Leo’s gaze had snapped over to stare at the masthead. He… he hadn’t imagined it… had he? There was another, slightly louder series of creaks, and the tears finally spilled over the hispanics eyelids.</p><p>Leo voice was a whisper of breath. “Festu-”</p><p>An earsplitting <em> roar </em> reverberated from the mastheads mouth around the Bunker, forcing most of the demigods to slap hands over their ears.</p><p>Nyssa stared at the back of the dragon head with shock. “It’s alive?” She breathed in disbelief.</p><p>“He’s <em> alive </em> .” Leo felt a genuine smile cross his lips for the first time in months. His feet carried him in bounding steps over to the living animatronic. “He came <em> back! </em>Festus!”</p><p>He had just reached the bow of the ship when the masthead swiveled around, red polycarbonate eyes glowing like hot coals. Leo’s heart soared- then skipped a beat as the dragon opened it’s maw and loosed a jet of white hot flames at the demigod. The heat rolled over the fireproof hispanic, causing his cabinmates to shout his name in surprise and fear.</p><p>Leo stumbled out of the fire’s path, coughing slightly at the smoke rolling off of the flames.</p><p>“Turn it off!”</p><p>“DON’T YOU <em> DARE! </em> ” Leo roared, the tone of his yell burning with such intensity freezing everyone in their tracks. He had no idea who had made the suggestion, and frankly, he didn’t care. His dragon was <em> back </em> . Festus was alive again, after <em> months </em> of unsuccessful startups. If they turned him off now… who knew if he would ever start back up again.</p><p>“Festus, buddy.” Leo turned his attention back to the dragon, making a placating motion with his hands. “It’s just me, calm down.”</p><p>At the sound of the mechanics voice, Festus’ assault dwindled until the only evidence of his unease was the smoke still curling from the edges of his mouth. A series of hesitant, curious clicks sounded from Festus’ gears.</p><p>“Yeah,” Leo answered, the tears brimming again. “It’s me. I’m really here.” He stepped up to the masthead, rubbing his hand up and down along the celestial bronze spine. “It’s not a dream”</p><p>The last comment was more of an assurance to himself. For so long he’d imagined this moment, what it would be like to finally have his animatronic friend back. Emotions roiled in his gut, vying for attention, but there was only one that Leo found himself focusing on.</p><p>“I’m- I’m so sorry buddy.” His voice was quiet as he leaned his head forward to rest it against Festus’ cool metal snout. “I- I should’ve seen the lasers. Or kept a closer eye on your temperature gauge: If I had, I would’ve seen that Kihone was messing with your circuits and-” The tears that clouded his vision were ones borne of guilt. “And even after <em> everything </em> I still couldn’t… I thought I would never… that <em> you </em> would never- I was beginning to lose hope that you would come back.”</p><p>Festus’s gears whirred in reassurance as the dragon nuzzled it’s head against the demigod’s shoulder.</p><p>“I’m so glad you’re back.” Leo sniffed, dashing a hand across his eyes. “I-I really am.” He leaned back, staring into the vivacious eyes of the animatronic.</p><p>Then frowned at what he saw.</p><p>The red tinted plastic had numerous small white streaks cutting horizontally across the edges. They covered a good portion of the lower and upper half of the polycarbonate pieces, distorting the inner light that attempted to shine through.</p><p>Leo huffed out a laugh. “Well no wonder you were going a bit crazy there, buddy. You’re eyes are all scratched up.”</p><p>Crazing wasn’t entirely uncommon in transparent plastics. The white streaks could form for a number of reasons but ultimately, they would reduce the clarity of the plastic, making it harder to see through them.</p><p>Festus claked a question and Leo smiled. “Don’t worry,” He said, pulling out a tube of mint toothpaste and a scrubbing pad. “I can clear that right up for you.”</p><p>“Hey Leo!”</p><p>The hispanic started, having completely forgotten that his cabinmates were still here. He turned to see that Jake had dispersed most of the crowd, the older demigod tilting a head towards the control console.</p><p>“Mind if we keep going with the test?” He asked.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, um…” Leo glanced between the masthead and the helm torn between his duties as the project leader and his burning desire to fix his dragon..</p><p>Jake made the decision for him. “You do you,” He smiled, “The rest if us can handle the testing.”</p><p>Leo returned the expression gratefully. “Hear that Festus? You’re getting me out of doing the boring stuff!”</p><p>Festus snorted, flames flickering out from his nose in a small burst.</p><p>Leo’s focus zeroed in on his new task, completely ignoring the others as he scrubbed the toothpaste over the cracked areas. The fine particles in the dental hygiene paste buffed out the worst of the crazing without damaging the plastic. The Son of Hephaestus took his time with the job, putting as much care into the dragon animatronic that it deserved (which is to say, <em> all </em> of the care Leo could muster). As he worked he talked softly to Festus, recounting everything that had transpired since their crash landing in King Midas’ fortress.</p><p>Festus was a great listener too, interjecting here and there with a creak or a click, and even some whirrs of laughter when Leo told him how he’d accidentally burned a bridge.</p><p>“It wasn’t on <em> purpose </em> .” The hispanic bemoaned. “I just got a little excited.” And even still he felt a twinge of shame. If he’d had better control over his powers that wouldn’t have happened. Festus nudged the hispanic with his nose and Leo shook off the thought. “It all worked out in the end though. Oh- you should’ve <em> seen </em> Piper! She was so cool! I didn’t think it was possible to charmspeak the earth itself- and literally pull someone back from the brink of death just by telling them to wake up. I wonder if it’d work on the Hypnos kids…”</p><p>And he was rambling again. Leo gave his head a sharp shake, returning to his scrubbing. There was one particular scratch that was being incredibly stubborn-</p><p>“...Leo?”</p><p>The hispanic looked up to find Harley standing behind him, the kids hands nervously twisting in his shirt. Leo glanced around, realizing that almost everyone else had already left the Bunker- they must’ve been done with testing, and it was nearly time for lunch, after all. So why was Harley still here?</p><p>“Come now, if you skip two meals a day <em> I </em> might have to tell on you to Nys.” Leo smirked, expecting the light comment to ease some of the tension in the kid’s shoulders. But they only hiked up further towards his ears, Harley’s face reddening as he ducked his gaze.</p><p>Leo’s smile fell and he stopped his ministrations. Festus whirred in displeasure, but even the animatronic could tell that something was up.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Leo asked, unable to think, for the life of him, why Harley would be looking almost <em> afraid </em> to talk to him. Unless... </p><p>Harley was Cabin Nine’s golden child, a prodigy of their father in every sense of the word. His ease in the shop could sometimes foster jealousy in their half-siblings, but the kid was never braggadocious about his skills. Always willing to help out wherever he could, and his genuine kindness only served to deescalate the envious looks. So then that could only mean…</p><p>“Are the Aires kids bothering you too?” Leo’s expression darkened at the thought of those jocks picking on Harley.</p><p>But the younger demigod looked up quickly at that and shook his head. “No- no nothing like that!” He hurried to assure. “I just, um, need to talk to you...”</p><p>Leo blinked. Well that wasn’t so bad-</p><p>“About Festus.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Festus is back!!!! Yay!!!<br/>... but what's going on with Harley?????</p><p>Find out on Saturday! ;)</p><p>As always, drop me a comment or critique if you are so inclined. I love hearing from y'all!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harley reveals what he knows...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Hope you're having a wonderful start to the weekend!</p><p>Big thanks to those who left kudos and comments :D Truly, it makes my day to see other people enjoying this mess I call a story.</p><p>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #11: Diode Dilema</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew he shouldn’t do it. He really did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley knew how to fix it. And for a Son of Hephaestus, that was practically a get-out-of-jail-free card for breaking the rules. Harley gnawed on his lower lip as the internal struggle raged on, fingers twitching from inaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The curly-haired kid wasn’t even supposed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the backshops right now, but he’d run out of celestial bronze rivets and had to go hunting for more. As it turned out, the entire bunker was devoid of the parts he needed: they would have to machine more from scrap metal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a fruitless search, the only stone left unturned had been a small work desk in the back corner of the bunker. Leo’s desk. The bench was littered with carefully rolled schematics and small components that the Head of Cabin Nine had been tinkering with. It was an unspoken rule not to mess with anything on the table- not because Leo would get mad (‘Leo’ and ‘anger’ were words that rarely crossed paths in a sentence), rather out of respect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of the Children of Hephaestus had side projects: little knick knacks and doodads that they would fabricate in their freetime. And everyone understood that messing with others projects was practically taboo. So while Harley did peruse through the desk drawers for the rivets, he didn’t plan on touching the stuff on top of the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet here he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t even his </span>
  <em>
    <span>fault</span>
  </em>
  <span>, really. If anyone was to blame it was Leo for leaving his stuff out in the open, where anyone could walk up and see. Harley was</span>
  <em>
    <span> hardly</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the wrong for taking a peek at the inner workings of the decapitated animatronic. The dragons main panel was removed, exposing the internal wiring, a matching diagram propped open beside it with Leo’s hand-written notes and scribbles in the margins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young demigod had glanced over the schematic with a curious eye; he knew Leo had been spending most- if not all- of his spare time trying to revive the dragon head, with little success. Now, though, Harley could see </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> the attempted power ups were failing. And he could fix it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A fix that was, in all honesty, laughably simple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The diodes were backwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a common mistake, the component itself was incredibly small, and their proper orientation still confused many others in Cabin Nine. Harley could tell Leo knew how to install them, the issue lie with the schematic- it had been drawn up incorrectly. The young demigod’s hands twitched towards the lifeless dragon head once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one would know. He just had to flip a few diodes around. It would take him all of ten seconds to do. Only...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley’s hands froze again, just before he disconnected the first diode. He felt like doing so would be a violation; solving the problem Leo had been obsessing over for the past few months. It felt like he would be stealing the personal satisfaction from his Cabin Leader.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dragon masthead was the last piece of the major systems left to be installed, a backup hub of information that would connect directly to the control panel: providing backup fail safes for each critical area of the ship. If something on the ship failed during their quest, the dragon masthead alone would be able to furnish everything for a minimum of three hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was literally the heart of the Argo II.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A loud clang from behind him had the young demigod turning guiltily, but the noise had originated from the opposite side of the bunker. Focus darted once more to the problem staring him in the face. Harley took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It was only a matter of time before Leo returned, if he was going to do it, it was now or never.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steeling his resolve, Harley made his choice.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>He almost blew it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley breathed a sigh of relief as Leo left, the younger demigod clutching the wiring blueprints tight to his chest. That had been close… </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> too close. He turned back to the drafting table, smoothing out the crinkled pages and staring down at the papers Leo </span>
  <em>
    <span>hadn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> seen. The dragon masthead schematic stared right back, daring the young Son of Hephaestus to turn around, and call Leo back. To tell him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley shook the thought away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no guarantee that the diodes had been what was preventing Festus from coming back to life. Sure it had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>a</span>
  </em>
  <span> problem. But solving one didn’t mean there weren’t others. There was still a large chance that the dragon would remain lifeless for the test run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A part of Harley almost hoped that would be the case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That part was firmly squashed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus needed to return. If not only for its function as a viable autopilot for the Argo II, then for the sole fact that the dragon was Leo’s favorite creation. Every day that drew them closer to completing the ship, Harley had seen the tension grow within his Cabin Leader. Nyssa and Jake had noticed too, but nothing they did seemed to ease the strain of Leo’s nerves (not to mention the added stress ever since Chiron announced who would be going on the quest to this other </span>
  <em>
    <span>Roman</span>
  </em>
  <span> camp). Having the animatronic alive again would undoubtedly provide a much needed bolster to the hispanic’s spirits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But if Festus did come back… it would mean that Harley’s meddling was what had fixed him. Or, at least provided the last solution to the many problems with the animatronic. And if Leo found out, he’d… well, Harley wasn’t entirely sure what he’d do: If Leo would see the action as a slight or as a helping hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stifling a groan, Harley ran a hand through his hair. Gods he didn’t like keeping secrets. He’d never been particularly good at lying either, it made his stomach churn just thinking about the half-truths he’d told Leo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door to the Bunker opened and his half-siblings began filing in. Harley rolled up the papers and placed them back into their respective bins next to the drafting table, making a decision as he did so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley would tell Leo the truth. He swore he would, but only after the test run. And only </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> the dragon masthead came back to life.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>He still couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley could only gape with his fellow demigods. The masthead’s eyes glinted dangerously as Leo approached, and before anyone could react, the dragon loosed a wave of fire that rolled over their Cabin Leader.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo!” Harley’s panicked shout intermixed with those of his half-siblings, heart leaping into his throat- </span>
  <em>
    <span>No no no no, not like this! Not like Bekendorf!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But when Leo stumbled out of the blazing inferno with only a splattering of char marks on his clothes, Harley sighed in relief, remembering that Leo wasn’t like their previous Cabin Leader. Fire couldn’t touch him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, there was a call to shut the ship down, and the dragon along with it. Some ran to where the fireguard was stationed, snatching up the fire extinguishing bottles. Others unhooked the shields from the bulwark, moving cautiously towards the raging masthead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“DON’T YOU </span>
  <em>
    <span>DARE!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The command halted everyone in their tracks. Together, Cabin Nine watched as Leo quelled the dragons anger, talking softly to the masthead and stroking the celestial bronze snout. After a few moments Jake shooed off the others, telling them the excitement was over and that they still had a ship to get airborne. Harley remained rooted to the spot, heart hammering loudly in his ears as he watched the exchange between animatronic and mechanic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo looked… so happy. He was smiling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Genuinely</span>
  </em>
  <span> smiling as he regarded the vivacious red polycarbonate eyes. And then-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound bubbled up from deep within his chest and forced its way out past the tears of joy Harley could see running tracks down his cheeks. The sound was light and cheery, almost desperately so; full of relief and contentment. In that moment the worries plaguing Leo seemed to slip into nothingness, the tension in his posture relaxing, and the bags under his eyes seeming to lessen (even though Harley knew that was a physical impossibility). It was the most lively he’d ever seen his Cabin Leader.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And all because Harley had flipped a few diodes around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley bit his lip. He had to tell him. He’d promised. The young demigod’s gut twisted again as he speculated what Leo’s reaction would be. Would the hispanic be frustrated? Or angry? Or disappointed? Or-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harley?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley started out of his stupor, looking to his left to see Jake watching him expectantly. “Sorry, what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said,” The older blond’s mouth quirked up in the corner. “You ready to finish the test? Gonna need a set of eyes on the instruments to make sure we don’t overheat the engines.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I-I’m coming.” Harley spared one last look in the direction of Leo before turning towards the control console.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d tell him later.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The Argo II was officially functional. The ship had flown- or, at least hovered- for over three quarters of an hour with all main systems operational, and no exceeded instrument ranges. His half-siblings were overjoyed at the success, calls for an early break for lunch as well as a ceremonious raid of the kitchen’s snack pantry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa had suggested the latter option.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even Jake didn’t seem to care about the blatant breaking of rules, actually encouraging the heist as a way to provide food for the ‘Biggest cabin party in the history of Camp Half-Blood!’ that they would be holding tonight after curfew. As the celebratory mood began to wane, Jake moved to shut down the ship, pausing for a moment at the controls to send a glance towards the bow. Harley’s gaze followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Completely oblivious to his surroundings, Leo continued to polish the masthead, mouth moving rapidly as he talked, hands occasionally pausing to make a gesture or mimic something in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a fond smile, Jake flipped the switches to the main power bus, leaving the backup system on for the time being. The older demigod caught Harley’s eye and winked. “We’ll come back and get him before the party.” He assured with a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley returned the expression, but his lips were pulled tight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When his half-siblings left for lunch, Harley hung back, making some excuse that he was going to wait until the engines had coasted down completely. It was only when the door to the Bunker swung shut behind the last of them that he made his way over to the bow where Leo remained blissfully ignorant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley took a steadying breath. “Leo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hispanic looked up, then cast his gaze around the hanger, a pinch between his brow as he realized that everyone was gone. Harley’s hands fisted in the bottom of his shirt nervously. After a moment, Leo shrugged slightly, his confused gaze turning back to Harley before a smirk replaced it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come now, if you skip two meals a day </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> might have to tell on you to Nys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley’s shoulders hiked up, feeling his cheeks heat. He’d rather face Nyssa’s wrath ten times over than reveal his interference to Leo. The older demigod still radiated unbound joy, and Harley feared what he had to say would take that away. But he’d sworn to tell the truth, and so he would.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently Harley’s silence had propogated for too long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” The smile had faded from Leo’s face, replaced with an expression of concern. Leo seemed to come to his own form of reasoning for Harley’s demeanor, because his expression darkened and he asked “Are the Aires kids bothering you too?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley looked up at that, shaking his head quickly. “No- no nothing like that!” He hurried to assure. “I just, um, need to talk to you… about Festus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo quirked his head to the side, brow creasing in confusion. “What about him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley twisted the toe of his shoe into the sturdy metal hull for a moment longer, mind ping-ponging between telling the truth or just fabricating some excuse and putting it off, before squaring his shoulders and meeting his Cabin Leader’s gaze. Leo’s eyebrows rose at the determined stare but said nothing, merely waiting for Harley to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His diodes were flipped.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His…” Leo blinked. “What?” The hispanic’s face turned to glance at the animatronic in question, as if he could see the circuitry behind the panel. “What makes you think that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley shook his head slightly. “Not- not </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> flipped; they </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> backwards. And I don’t think, I know, because… because I changed them around the other day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger demigod was watching his Cabin Leader carefully, trying to gauge his reaction. Leo’s face was pinched in perplexity as he absorbed what his half-sibling had said. With his eyes glued to Leo’s face, Harley saw the exact moment that the lights came on, and Leo’s chocolate gaze widened in understanding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You…” His eyes returned from their observation of Festus to stare back down at Harley. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> changed…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was written all over his face, the older demigod’s voice trailing off into silence. Leo’s gaze went unfocused and he absently placed a hand on the neck of the metal dragon who had also gone quiet. Harley fidgeted in the void of noise, desperately trying to see through the older demigod’s hazy mask of calm as he worked out the significance of Harley’s actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It happens to me all the time.” Harley blurted, almost desperate to break the unnatural stillness in the air. His words stumbled over themselves in his rush to try and garner some reaction from his Cabin Leader who seemed to have slipped into a daze. “The label on the diodes is super small and there’s nothing that explicitly says how it should be installed. Even on diagrams its almost counterintuitive with how the symbols are oriented. Whoever helped you draw up Festus’ schematic must’ve mislabeled it, so the way you installed it was correct per the diagram but backwards in order for the electricity to flow-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Diagram?” Leo’s gaze gained back some of their focus as they met Harley’s eyes. “So then, earlier today… you said you were looking at Nyssa’s weapons blueprints?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley’s cheeks burned and he ducked his head in shame. “I- I was taking one last look over Festus’ design. Making sure I hadn’t missed a diode. When you startled me I accidentally knocked some of Nyssa’s pages from the table to. I didn’t even know if changing the diodes would solve the problem because Festus was already so busted up, I didn’t think he would power on even then, but then he did and… I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His voice had been growing softer with each sentence, the last two words practically whispered. Leo didn’t say anything for a long time, and when Harley dared to look back up, he almost wished he hadn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s eyes had filled with tears again, only these were not of the same joyous nature as earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>These were ones of despondency. As he watched, one escaped, slipping down the hispanic’s cheek. Festus clicked something softly and Leo jerked out of his stupor, blinking down at the younger demigod before turning his back to Harley and wiping a hand across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley’s heart twisted and he felt his own tears brimming in his eyes. He bit his lip hard to keep them from spilling over. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the one who had meddled in Leo’s project. He had no right to cry now, especially since the look of betrayal and anguish that had flashed across his Cabin Leader’s face just moments ago was all his fault.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” He repeated the phrase, as if it would mend the rift he had just created. “Please don’t be mad.” The last phrase was spoken almost wordlessly, the phrase more of a prayer Harley was sending to the gods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his surprise, Leo spun back around at the apology, crouching to be level with the younger demigod. “No,” He said, resting a hand on Harley’s shoulders. “Don’t apologize. I- I’m not mad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo smiled. But it was strained, and didn’t quite reach his red-rimmed eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just… surprised, that’s all.” The hispanic continued. “I didn’t realize I had made a mistake in the circuitry.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>One so simple</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His expression seemed to add. “Thank you, for fixing Festus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley’s eyes widened at that. Because that wasn’t what had happed at all, wasn’t what he wanted Leo to think. “No I- I just fixed the one thing. You… you built him back from scratch. You fixed him up when we all thought it was pointless. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> were the one who fixed Festus, I… I just helped a bit at the end.” His shoulders hiked up a bit. “And I’m sorry for not telling you first before messing with the circuits. I’m</span>
  <em>
    <span> really</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s smile had softened ever so slightly, and he ruffled Harley’s hair. “There’s no need to apologize. Now, why don’t you go grab lunch with the others? There may not be many good sandwiches left if you don’t hurry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Head of Cabin Nine tilted his head back towards Festus. “I’m gonna finish up with this first, and then I’ll be along.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley searched Leo’s face for any signs that he was lying, but the older demigod’s expression was once again a mask of controlled emotions. Harley agreed, if a little reluctantly- he still saw a hint of gloom shadowing Leo’s face- and made his way to the gangplank. Before he descended from the ship, he remembered something, and turned back to the bow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jake said we’re gonna be holding a huge party tonight to celebrate! Are you… Will you be there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pregnant pause before Leo answered. “That sounds like fun.”</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The party was indeed fun. And Harley wasn’t sure about the biggest, but it was definitely the loudest celebration with Daynah procuring an amplifier and blasting music all through the night. Everyone was enjoying themselves, party games were in full swing and the snacks were stacked in abundance on one of the work tables.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley couldn’t bring himself to join in on the festivities, however, his eyes frequently darting over towards the cabin door, foot bouncing nervously on the wooden floorboards. Leo had stayed behind at the hanger, per usual, when dinner arrived. And yet Harley still held out hope that their Cabin Leader would walk in fashionably late (and excessively past curfew). No one else seemed to notice his absence except Harley; even Nyssa and Jake were too fully emersed in the celebrations to realize that one crucial cabinmate was missing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley did: and so Harley waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Leo never showed.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Aww... poor Harley, he was just trying to help.</p><p>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ares kids are jerks, Leo cares about his cabinmates, and Clarisse just wants to get some shut eye.</p><p>Or: The one in which the shit begins to hit the fan.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Alright baby, chapter 12 is HERE and I hope y'all are ready because I was totally not expecting this to turn into the rabbit hole of a 4-5 part chapter segment that it did, but hey- I don't control these characters and they have a mind of their own.</p><p>And some of them have a death wish. Namely one very overworked hispanic.</p><p>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 12: Problems Solved</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too slow, man.” Sherman quipped as he sidestepped Mark’s sloppy sword swing, bringing his own weapon around in a disarming arc to knock the blade from his opponents hands. In the blink of an eye the dulled metal edge had snapped back up to the nape of Mark’s neck, “And now you’re dead. Gotta work on your move projection.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark growled in annoyance. “Give me a spear and I’ll show you just how far I can project.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, can’t give a spear to a dead guy.” But even though his words were teasing, Sherman lowered the sparring blade, kneeling to snatch the fallen sword and toss it back to his half-brother. “Let’s go again, but this time, don’t be so obvious with where you’re gonna swing next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark tsk-ed, gritting his teeth as he took up a stance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman readied his own blade, holding it light and easy in his left hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two stared at each other for a moment longer, green eyes into blue, before Mark moved in an explosive barrage of blows. Sherman gave ground behind the powerful swings, deflecting each strike with ease and a hint of boredom. But training matches were part of the way to get better, and so he would partake, even if he was leaps and bounds better at swordplay than the younger demigod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment when Mark overextended, stepping too far forward and unbalancing his stance. Sherman took the opening, stepping in close before his right hand snapped forwards, grabbing the hilt of Marks sword and twisting, allowing the flesh of his elbow to smack into the side of Marks head for good measure. His half-sibling crashed into the dirt with a grunt, the blow loosening his hold on the weapon as he fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman, now with both blades, leveled one at Marks chest, holding back a disappointed sigh. “Aaand you’re dead. Again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marks dark gaze boiled with rage, and Sherman’s own eyes stayed locked with his opponents. Not letting down your guard, </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> when you think the fight is over, was rule one of fighting. A rule that counted twice if your opponent was a child of Ares, the god of war: they all hated losing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a long minute, Sherman saw the anger had become more of a simmer, and he dropped his guard, sticking one sword into the ground and offering the younger teen a hand up. Mark took it, grunting as he was pulled to his feet. A hand rubbed at where Sherman’s blow had connected, and he worked his jaw a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you have to hit so hard? This is just a sparring match.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman shrugged. “The pain will help you remember not to overextend again.” The older demigod cast his gaze around the clearing, observing the other groups as they practiced. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow across the training field, the smell of Friday night pizza wafting across the air from the dining pavillion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was no surprise that, in any pair involving one of his half-siblings, the upper hand was always on the side of the children of Ares. Sherman felt a prideful smirk grace his lips. To be fair, the Hermes brats were a slippery bunch, so they put up a decent enough fight. But the same couldn’t be said for the Apollo runts. They were more suited to archery than hand to hand combat, but with a war brewing on the horizon, every cabin was scheduled to undergo rigorous weapons training.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or… almost every cabin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A movement in his periphery drew Sherman’s attention towards the ring of cabins, seeing a small figure making his way across the clearing towards the woods, precariously balancing a mess of machined parts in his arms. Mark noticed it too, the brunette stepping up besides his brother and scowling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you look at that.” Mark shook his head. “It’s not every day you see a dead man walking. You know, if the camp </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> attacked, those forge brats would be the first to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman raised a curious eyebrow. “Really? You don’t think they’d hold out longer than the barbies?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least the Aphrodite kids </span>
  <em>
    <span>attend</span>
  </em>
  <span> training.” Mark reasoned. “Even if they suck at it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman tilted his head in acknowledgement of the point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s bullshit that they get out of sparring practice just because they’re ‘busy’ building that crappy ship. It’s been, what, half a year? And they’re still not done? They’re either lazing half the day away, or they’re terrible at their job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t that Sherman disagreed with Mark’s logic, but there was nothing they could do about it- Chiron had indefinitely barred Cabin Nine from all camp activities until their little project was complete. Still, Sherman felt his lips twist into a grin as he turned to his half-brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They can’t come to training.” He said casually, draping the blunted sword over his shoulder. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t help them practice their swordsmanship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark’s eyes narrowed slightly before understanding dawned, and a mirroring smile crested his features. “You’re right.” He said, tugging his own bade out of the earth. “I think it’s time to go show them what they’re missing out on.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>For some reason, the days felt like they kept getting longer. Or maybe that was just because Leo had begun pulling all-nighters again. It hadn’t even been intentional this time, but with Festus back up and running again (a fact the hispanic was still conflicted about, but ultimately overjoyed that his buddy was back) Leo had decided to add some additional sensors to the animatronic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Naturally, his digression back into the practice of not sleeping had drawn Nyssa’s attention. But to his surprise, the older girl had merely sighed; returning to the bunker with a cot after the third instance of her arriving in the morning only to find Leo passed out at a workstation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Regardless, to Leo it seemed like the afternoons were dragging on. And not even in a good way where it felt like they were getting more done, just a lagging lethargy in the time after lunch that made everything slow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes, then arched his back, twisting from side to side as he tried to get some feeling back into his limbs. He cracked his neck, rolling it a bit with a wince before looking back down at the weapons systems schematic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The weapons themselves were nearly completed, a set of gigantic crossbows flanking the main mast that could retract into the deck with the flip of a switch. Additionally, Jake had conferred with the Apollo kids to create a set of enlarged bolts that would explode on impact thanks to a mixture of flour and compressed air in a flint core of the bolts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bolt would shatter, releasing the flour- which, thanks to the pressurized container, would be a fine particulate dust- and when the flint broke, it would spark and ignite the dust cloud. It was brilliant! And also extremely difficult to manufacture without… well, blowing up the back of the bunker. Again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo traced the eraser of his pencil across the diagram, stopping to tap thoughtfully at a particular section. The base of the mounted crossbows. The original design had been to let them remain fixed, allowing only a vertical change in aim. After playing with some ideas, Leo found that a simple set of planetary gears could allow them to rotate directionally without hindering the storing and reloading functions. They’d tested it successfully on the left crossbow and were waiting for the second set of gears to arrive from the cabin where Harley had been busy forging the delicate parts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A frown tugged at Leo’s lips as he took note of the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It should’ve been here by now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo tried to quell his worries. The parts were fragile, and had to be machined perfectly in order to work. It was possible that Harley was just taking his time making it, the younger demigod was an artist when it came to metalworking, but they were all prone to making mistakes every now and again.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Some more often than others</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Leo’s thoughts whispered as his eyes were pulled towards the bow where Festus was currently powered down. Before he could continue down that path, he heard the door to the bunker swing open and shut, emitting one of his half-siblings. Leo glanced up hopefully, but it was only Daynah, the girl offering a quick smile and a half wave (the best she could with her hands laden with flour bags) before making her way over to Jake and the others at the far end of the bunker; where the crossbow bolt construction was well underway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo worried his lower lip, debating whether or not he should run to the cabin to check on things. Then he shook his head. He’d already sent Nelson to do just that about an hour ago, there was no need to pressure Harley by having two people breathe down his neck about the progress of the part.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bunker door opened again a few minutes later, and Leo saw none other than Nelson stumble across the threshold, arms full of metal pieces that glinted under the overhead lights. Leo smiled, getting up from his chair and walking to meet his half-sibling near the ships ramp. But as he got closer, the smile fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something was wrong. Very wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He realized that the gear pieces were just that: in pieces. Not parts of a whole. And the way Nelson was moving… Leo thought he had just stumbled across the threshold because not many had gotten accustomed to the ‘step up’ warning. But now he could see it was more of a pronounced limp, the other demigod favoring his left leg as he walked- or, more accurately, shuffled- towards Leo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hispanic stepped up quickly, reaching out an arm to help steady his half-brother. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nelson’s eyes dropped to the parts in his hands, cheeks coloring in shame. “Sorry, Leo, I- I broke the part. I didn’t mean to, but… I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo could see that for himself, but for once the machine hadn’t been his primary concern. “Parts can be fixed,” He said dismissively, “I meant what happened to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The answer to that was clearly a ‘no’. Now that they were next to each other, Leo could see the beginnings of a thick bruise forming on Nelson’s upper cheek, the skin had even been split slightly, a small well of blood pooling around the break. Leo took the parts, setting them down before gently leading his cabinmate over to a chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was Sherman and his goons.” Nelson explained as he stumbled towards the chair with his Cabin Leaders help. “They’ve been bugging a few of us about skipping sparring practices, but I guess this time they were just fed up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo searched his mind but drew up a blank at the name: obviously whoever did this was well known to his cabinmates. He frowned. “Chiron excluded us from those to finish the ship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Nelson grimaced massaging the side of his chest. “And they did too, said he was going soft on us. Said we would just have to learn to fight on our own time, and that they wanted to help us toughen up. Said it was their job as the foremost experts of Cabin Five to ensure we were battle ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cabin Five.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They gave me a sword to ‘defend’ myself with.” Nelson continued, using air quotes around the word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s eyes widened. “Wait- a </span>
  <em>
    <span>sword</span>
  </em>
  <span>! They came after you with weapons?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dummy swords.” Nelson clarified, </span>
  <span>like that made it any better</span>
  <span>. “Must’ve been what they were practicing with today. But gods know I haven’t touched a sword in months, so it wasn’t much of a fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s teeth grit in frustration. He recalled how just last week they’d bugged Jake enough to make him late for the fully operational test run. Name calling was one thing, but physical violence? That was another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Leo would be damned if he let that stand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nelson let out a low hiss as he shifted in the seat. Leo’s attention immediately snapped back to his wounded half-sibling and he mentally smacked himself. Shoving a hand into the larger pocket of his toolbelt, he rummaged around before finding what he was looking for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m such an idiot,” He chastized himself quietly, opening the ziplock of ambrosia and pulling out a piece. “Here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nelson took the offered god food, popping the slightly smushed square into his mouth. Within moments the forming bruise faded, and he sighed in relief. “That’s better. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you need another?” Leo’s supply was running a bit low, but he could easily restock it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Nelson shook his head in the negative. “I’ll be good for now. Don’t wanna risk eating too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right. Because consuming too much of the godly medicine would kill them quicker than any Child of Ares could. Leo tucked the emergency stock away, looking back up only to find Nelson staring despondently at the broken gears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m really sorry.” He said again. “It’s gonna take hours to fix that and get it functional again. I should’ve been more careful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, man, none of this sounds like your fault.” Leo hurried to correct, placing a comforting hand on his half-brothers shoulder. “The blame’s entirely on this Sherman guy, and it sounds like this isn’t the first time he’s messed with our cabinmates. Don’t worry, we’ll salvage what we can from the scraps and have Harley remake the rest; and after we get the piece installed I’ll go talk to them about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nelson regarded Leo for a long moment like he had grown a second head. Then he asked, “What kind of flowers do you want for your funeral?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo blinked. “Uh… what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flowers.” Nelson repeated, as if his request was perfectly normal. “You’re gonna try and ‘talk’ with those meatheads, so we need to start planning your funeral now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on,” Leo rolled his eyes with a light chuckle. “With my charming personality I’ll be perfectly fine.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hope</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but he didn’t vocalize his doubts, instead plastering a wide grin on his face. “Just you wait, this whole thing will blow over in no time.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Clarisse La Rue woke to the sound of someone knocking on the door to Cabin Five at seven o’clock in the morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Saturday</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a grumble, the Head Counselor turned over in her bunk, hoping that whoever it was would quickly recall the crucial trait of self-preservation and just go away. Not only would that allow her to sleep in on one of the two days she was allowed to, but it might also save said person from getting their nose bashed in by a very cranky Daughter of Ares. There was blissful silence for another long minute, before the knocks returned; slightly hesitant this time, but noticeably louder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> A few of her half-siblings began to stir at the sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huffing out a sigh, Clarisse swung her legs over the side, getting up and rubbing a hand over her eyes. If she let this go on long enough for the others to wake up, there would be bloodshed. It was at times like this when she hated being a Cabin Leader. Whichever idiot was outside banging away better be grateful to her for saving their ass from being kicked to the infirmary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And if they weren’t? Then Clarisse just might end up sending them there herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The aged wooden door creaked open with a violent tug, and the Daughter of Ares leaned against the doorframe. She was fully aware that her broad-shouldered, athletic build practically filled up the entire entryway, as hard brown eyes glared down at the person who’d so rudely interrupted her bedrest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was one of the new campers. One of the trio that had flown out of camp on the metal dragon. For the life of her, Clarisse couldn’t remember his name, but she hardly expected to- the Daughter of Ares didn’t acknowledge most of the runts who hadn’t been in Camp Half-Blood for at least a year. There was no point in remembering the names of weaklings who couldn’t even survive that long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid had actually raised his hand to knock on the door for a third iteration, but at Clarisse’s sudden appearance the appendage fell down to his side. He was a good head shorter than her, wearing a set of stained suspenders and a rumpled whte collared shirt. An almost comically big toolbelt hung from the kid’s skinny waist, and a set of goggles draped from the nape of his tanned neck. A chocolate gaze traveled up the length of her form, the shorter demigod visibly swallowing at her imposing stance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse almost smiled at that. But then she remembered why she was even staring at the runt and her annoyance returned in full force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want, pipsqueak?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite his open nervousness, the kid stood his ground, a determined light in his eyes as he stoically met her gaze. So the runt had grit, Clarisse could respect that. What he said next, however, threw the older demigod for a loop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to request an audience with your Cabin Leader.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse frowned down at the younger demigod. Did he… </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> realize who she was? That he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>already</span>
  </em>
  <span> speaking to the Head Counselor of Cabin Five? She took a moment to marvel at the fact that this pipsqueak of a camper had marched up the the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ares</span>
  </em>
  <span> cabin, rapped on the door (at </span>
  <em>
    <span>seven in the morning</span>
  </em>
  <span> on a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Saturday</span>
  </em>
  <span>) and demanded to speak to the Head of the Cabin without even </span>
  <em>
    <span>knowing</span>
  </em>
  <span> who they were or what they looked like.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Forget grit. This kid had a death wish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either that, or whatever he had to say was more important than his own health.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright kid, let’s talk.” Clarisse obliged, pushing her way out of the cabin and forcing the runt to take a staggering step back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened slightly, filling with panic. “Wait, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span>-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clarisse La Rue.” Clarisse interrupted. “Head Counselor of Cabin Five and the person who’s about ten seconds away from pulverizing your ass and going back to sleep if you don’t spit it out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I- I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were the-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five seconds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kids mouth shut with an audible ‘clop’ and he took a deep breath before opening it again, the determination once again returned to his eyes. “I want you to stop harassing my cabin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse’s own gaze narrowed in partial confusion and partial aggravation: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Who the </span>
  </em>
  <span>hell</span>
  <em>
    <span> did this kid think he was commanding </span>
  </em>
  <span>her</span>
  <em>
    <span> in how to run her Cabin?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Based on his outfit, the Daughter of Ares could only assume the pipsqueak was one of Hephaestus’ grease monkeys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I mean, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> specifically.” The words stumbled from the runts lips in a rush, the words themselves sounding placating. “But your cabin mates. At least until we’ve finished building the ship. We just need a few more weeks to finalize the weapons systems and then we’ll be done and gone so you guys can go back to doing what you do best. All we need is a few weeks. That’s it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Clarisse really wished she knew who this kid was. The Head Counselor leaned back against the side of the cabin, folding her arms across her chest. “Look, pipsqueak-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name’s Leo-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could care less what your name is.” Clarisse interrupted, and while the kid’s jaw ticked in annoyance, the taller girl actually did file the name away. “You’ve either got an immense amount of guts for a forge brat, or you’re stupid beyond your years. My money’s on the latter. So, here’s what I’m gonna do: I’m gonna go inside, move my alarm back an hour, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> kick your ass into next week- because I’m really not in the mood to fill out an incident report. And if you ever wake me up on a weekend again and ask me to do something dumb, it’ll take more than a few repairs to fix you up. Got it? Good. Bye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushed off the wall, turning back towards the door until she felt a hand wrap around her wrist, tugging her back with minimal force. Clarisse blinked down at the physical contact for a split second, before her murderous gaze refocused on the runt, voice dropping dangerously low.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got </span>
  <em>
    <span>half</span>
  </em>
  <span> a second-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” The grip actually tightened slightly, and the Daughter of Ares was surprised to see a fire in the kid’s eyes that hadn’t been there before. A fierce authority that seemed to make the runt look… less puny. “That’s not good enough. And I wasn’t asking, I was telling. All we need is three weeks; then Jason, Piper, Annabeth and I will be out of your hair for probably a good long while. It’s only fair for you do the same and let us be until then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fair-</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was her turn to be interrupted, the kid not done speaking. “So until then, I’d better not see </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> or </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> half-siblings anywhere near my cabinmates, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’ll</span>
  </em>
  <span> wish you never messed with us ‘forge brats’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ooh she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> gonna punch this kid. But the runt let go of her arms and stepped away, out of the danger zone (or what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the danger zone), lips pulled tight and posture tense as he watched her expectantly. The Daughter of Ares felt a vein pulsing in her head and she took a deep breath, letting it hiss out through her nose. The pipsqueak was persistent. Annoyingly so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Clarisse agreed, her own brain failing to believe that such a word had left her mouth. She must still be half asleep to have given in so easily. Yeah, that was why. </span>
  
  <span>“We’ll give you your three weeks.” There were other campers that needed toughening up anyway: namely the Aphrodite barbies and Demeter tree-huggers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t thank me.” She snapped. “Because once I tell the others, you can be sure they won’t be happy. And as soon as you’re gone…” A cruel smirk curled at her lips. “Once you’re gone it’s fair game.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Leo winced as the door to Cabin Five slammed shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What… did he just do?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hispanic’s held breath rushed out and he bent over, placing a hand to his chest as if that would quell his racing heart. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dios</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but that had been ten times more terrifying than facing any giant. Leo didn’t know what had come over him, but something deep inside had burned with a red hot fury when Clarisse had denied his request. A feeling of intense frustration that he’d only ever experienced whenever Annabeth stopped by the Bunker to ‘check up’ on their progress (usually culminating in her insistance that they weren’t working fast enough).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo shook his head, straightening up and steadying his breathing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Must be spending too much time around Nyssa</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. His half-sister’s brash attitude must’ve rubbed off on him some. Or maybe… maybe he was just getting better at standing up to bullies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was probably also something he’d learned from Nys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Son of Hephaestus glanced down at his wristwatch, blanching at the time. It was already 7:30! He was almost late. Thankfully, Leo knew his way to Bunker Nine like the back of his hand: booted feet carrying him through the woods.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Oh Leo... you had to go and poke the sleeping bear...</p><p>I honestly enjoyed writing Clarisse and I know she's not a main character in the HOO story, but I feel like she's grown a lot since PJO. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and just know that the whump is coming. You have been warned.</p><p>Wishing you all the best of Monday's!<br/>&lt;3</p><p>p.s. oh, and per usual, I enjoy reading comments if you wanna leave one and blah blah blah, y'all know the shtick by now ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The time when Leo sits with his cabin at dinner, Ares kids are dicks, and Festus is the best dragon-masthead-thing</p><p>Or: Shit hits the fan.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Time for whumping! Apologies (but not really) in advance because... well, you'll see.</p><p>Let's get to it!<br/>Please enjoy<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 13: Drawbacks</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Production went smoothly for the next three days. Leo was pleased with the progress they’d made with the weapons system; a set of repeating crossbows mounted near the center of the ship on opposite sides of the bulwark. Nyssa’s designs were… incredible, to say the least. Leo glanced back up as they retracted the weaponry into the ships hull again, seeing the older girl watching the process with a critical eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think something’s still catching on the left one- it’s not as fluid as the right.” Nyssa called back to Daynah, who was at the controls. “Run it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo huffed slightly, “Now who’s the paranoid one?” He asked to no one in particular.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus answered anyway with a persistent whirr of gears. The dragon animatronic’s neck craned around to try and see what his mechanic was doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well of course,” Leo scoffed in response, turning back to his work at the base of the bow. “I’d want it to be perfect too if I was making it. I just think it’s funny, is all. Ironic because she kept chastizing me for doing the same with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus snorted out a small stream of smoke, clacking away in their morse code language.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Batting away the haze, Leo rapped the metal snout with his knuckles affectionately. “Hey, stop fidgeting- you don’t want me to accidentally cross your wires, do you?” The animatronic stilled immediately. Leo smirked, “Didn’t think so, now hold tight for just a bit longer, I’m almost done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Originally, the masthead was just the location of the redundancy system circuits: programmed to take over only when commanded to by the control panel. But now, with Festus’s return, Leo had decided to wire in a set of controls as well, ones that would allow the animatronic to remotely control the systems without directed input.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus whirred again, the dragon careful not to move as he spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s like I told you earlier,” Leo replied, studying the set of wrenches laid out at his feet before selecting the size he needed. “Before it was just a set of electrical relays making the decisions based on logic gates. Now that I’ve got the best co-pilot in the world-” Festus clicked happily at that, “-I think it’s fine to give you more control over the major systems.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dragon tilted his head with a clack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo rolled his eyes with a smile. “Yes, even the weapons systems. Although, you’ll have to shut down for a bit so I can connect it directly to your mainframe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus whirred in displeasure at the drawback but complied nonetheless, allowing Leo to safely hook up the computer and begin downloading the software configurations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Leo.” The hispanic looked over his shoulder to see Jake approaching, the blond wearing an easy smile as he cleaned his hands with a rag. “We’re about to break for dinner, you gonna come with? Or should I save you something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo glanced back at the computer, watching the progress bar slowly creep from one side of the screen to the other. He couldn’t work on Festus’ other systems while the program was working. There wasn’t much more he could do for now, so…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’ll come.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake blinked in surprise doing a double take at the answer. “Wait, really? I figured it would take at least three tries of me asking before you agreed.” He raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Are you sure you’re Leo Valdez? Are you feeling okay? Do I need to call a doctor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The former head counselor pretended to feel Leo’s forehead for a fever, but the hispanic batted away the appendage with a roll of his eyes. “Ha ha. Leave the jokes to me, Mason, you’ve got horrible comedic delivery.” Jake’s smile only grew wider at that and he slung an arm around the younger demigod’s neck, steering the smaller boy towards the exit.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It ‘was make your own Taco Tuesday’ night at the dining pavillion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because of course it was. Leo wanted to laugh at that fact but he settled for a smile instead. It was time to show the rest of these demigods how a </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> taco was made. With ease, the hispanic masterfully began crafting the most beautiful, most mouth watering assortment of tacos Camp Half-Blood had ever seen. Even Jake was impressed by the results, eyebrows raising as Leo sat down at the table with his cabinmates</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The former head counselor whistled. “Next time you’re making my taco’s for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo snorted. “Fat chance, Mason. You have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>earn</span>
  </em>
  <span> the taco.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Earn it, huh?” Jake took a bite of his own poorly crafted food, thinking for a long moment before speaking around the mouthful. “Kinda like ‘ow we ‘ad to ‘earn’ you sitting wit’ us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The question made Leo pause, a taco raised halfway to his mouth. His brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced at the older boy. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake swallowed, aiming a knowing look at his younger half-brother. “Dude, you’re sitting at our cabin table. Even when you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> come and eat you’ve always sit with your friends.” And he jerked his head in a direction for emphasis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s gaze followed to land on Jason and Piper sitting a few tables away. The two were enjoying their meal, casually chatting the night away with…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo swallowed. The blond had been there when Leo had arrived, the Daughter of Athena deep in a discussion with his two friends as she pointed out places on a foldable map. Leo tried to pretend that it didn’t hurt, for his spot at the table with Jason and Piper to have been so easily replaced. But it did: that voice in the depths of his mind that sounded suspiciously like Gaea whispering how he was always going to be a third wheel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite it all, he had initially made to sit with them, but as he’d gotten closer, his blood began to boil at the thought of sitting next to Annabeth. That irrational irritation he felt towards the blonde drove him to change course at the last moment, moving to sit with his cabinmates instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pang of guilt tore through his chest as he realized that Jake was right… he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been regarding his half-siblings as a sort-of last resort. A fallback place to sit if Jason and Piper weren’t around. That was something his cabinmates hardly deserved, given how hard they’d been working.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo noticed he’d been quiet for far too long, and he forced a falsetto hurt expression to cross his face as he regarded Jake. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mason!</span>
  </em>
  <span> I thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> were friends? Is it really so strange for me to want to sit with my loving half-brothers and sisters? I am wounded- </span>
  <em>
    <span>wounded!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But despite the act, Jake was still watching him with that serious expression. Leo’s cheeks reddened slightly under the scrutinous stare, opting to stuff his mouth with the concoction of ground beef, shredded cheese, and salsa. Jake watched him for a moment longer before dropping his shoulders with a sigh. He looked as if he was going to say something else, but Leo was spared the pep talk thanks to Nyssa’s arrival.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The older girl plopped down beside him, her plate loaded with goods and even a few desserts despite the fact that the sweets table hadn’t been made available to them yet. But her gaze was locked on something in the distance, a pinch between her brows. Nyssa hummed in displeasure, saying nothing, then turned back to her food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake had noticed as well. “Everything good, Nys?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her response was a shrug. “Not sure,” Their half-sister said. “I think the meatheads are staring at us, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Meatheads?</span>
  </em>
  <span> As one, Leo and Jake shifted to look over at the Ares table to find that- yup- they were definitely staring. And not in a nice and friendly way. Not even in a ‘I-zoned-out-for-a-moment’ way. Leo’s chocolate gaze met the hard emerald gaze of one of the campers. Like all children of the war god, he was the physical embodiment of a gym membership commercial, with almost comically large muscles, a cropped cut of sandy-blond hair, and a chiseled jawline that any Aphrodite girl would fawn over.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Leo amended the thought with a wince, his mind instantly recalling that Piper was one of said Aphrodite girls, </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe not all of them.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But emerald dude was less of staring and more glaring daggers in their direction. Leo suppressed a shudder as one of emerald’s buddy’s leaned over and whispered something in his ear, resulting in the hard gaze to shift and focus directly on Leo himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead Leo smiled, waving at them from across the dining pavillion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What in Hades are you doing?” Nyssa deadpanned, catching the motion in her peripherals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… being friendly towards our half-cousins?” Leo replied, sounding unsure even to his own ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Friendly and Children of Ares are the last words that would fit together in the same sentence.” Nyssa corrected. “You know what </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> commonly in a sentence with Ares? Murder. Murder fits in very well with Children of Ares.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh relax Nys.” Jake waved a placating hand. “Murder is a bit extreme, don’t ‘cha think? Bloodshed is more accurate. Or maiming. Or seriously injuring. Or-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I get it.” Leo interrupted. “But look on the bright side: they haven’t been bothering us lately, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Head of Cabin Nine was asking not only as a counter point, but also as an honest question. He hadn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>heard</span>
  </em>
  <span> of any altercations since his talk with Clarisse. It looked like the female equivalent of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson had upheld her end of the bargain. Still, that didn’t mean nothing </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He received twin frowns of consideration, Jake and Nyssa exchanging a look before the latter spoke. “Y’know, they have been pretty chill lately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… Maybe they’re planning something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa scoffed at the former head counselor. “Okay, I take it back. ‘Plan’ and ‘Ares’ are the least synergetic words in all of the human vocabulary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of dinner passed fairly uneventfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo couldn’t help glancing over at Jason, Piper, and Annabeth every now and again, and from the way Jake looked over periodically, Leo could tell his observations had been anything but subtle. He did his best to divert the attention elsewhere, cracking a few jokes and impressing his half-siblings with his taco-making skills. Nyssa snuck extra desserts from the table with every refilled plate, and Leo casually slipped her some of his unwanted sweets as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the end of the meal, Leo laced his hands behind his head, fighting back a yawn. It had been a while since he’d eaten that much food in one sitting, he could feel the beginnings of a food coma coming on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa noticed the yawn. “Time for bed?” She phrased the words like a question, but Leo knew it was anything but.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um…” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to figure out how to say ‘no’ without actually using that singular syllable. “Actually-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know why you bother asking, Nys.” Jake interrupted, popping a piece of taffy into his mouth. “I mean, you set up that cot in the bunker for a reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but that only helps </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> he uses it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Do</span>
  </em>
  <span> you use it?” The last sentence </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> meant as an answerable question, one Nyssa directed at her Cabin Leader.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo looked anywhere but the steely gaze of his half-sister. “It… gets used… on occasion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The correct answer to that was ‘every night’,” The older girl informed. “It should get used </span>
  <em>
    <span>every</span>
  </em>
  <span> night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… right. That’s- yeah, that’s what I meant to say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake facepalmed, shaking his head with a sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just promise me you’ll sleep tonight.” Nyssa’s tone was half exasperated, half resigned. “And by the gods take a shower! You smell like the inside of an auxiliary power unit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Both </span>
  </em>
  <span>of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Jake’s brows furrowed in indignation. “I don’t smell </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust me, you smell worse.” As Jake sputtered for a comeback, Nyssa stood, grabbing her plate and moving over to one of the offering pyres. She dumped her leftovers into the blaze and returned, jabbing a finger into Leo’s chest. “Remember- </span>
  <em>
    <span>use</span>
  </em>
  <span> the cot. We’ll see you in the morning. C’mon Jake- stop sniffing your shirt for Hades sake, I was mostly kidding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mostly? </span>
  </em>
  <span>What do you mean ‘mostly’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo waved at their retreating forms, their bickering slowly fading with the distance. He then stood and stretched. Dinner break was over- it was time to get back to work. As he made his way towards the woodline, Leo failed to notice the pair of emerald eyes that watched him leave.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Leo may not have had any designs on using the cot (he was fully prepared to pull another all-nighter to get Festus’ systems fully functional), but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> slip into the back room where a small set of private showers had been constructed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite what Nyssa seemed to think, Leo did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> enjoy the feeling of grease and oil in his hair. The same as he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> always thrilled about how much he smelled like his machines. But when you worked around them all day, every day, that tended to happen more often than not. Leo sighed contentedly as he stepped out from under the heated water, shutting off the flow and allowing the steam to roll over him in waves of lingering warmth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the best part? There was no wait. He didn’t have to loiter in his stained clothes for hours on end while his cabinmates took turns filtering through the insufficient number of showers back by the cabins. He had this one all to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo couldn’t restrain a smirk as he dried off, slipping into the spare set of clean(er) clothes he’d left in the bottom locker. A glance at his watch told him the night was still young, barely past midnight, which meant there was still work that could be done. Specifically, finishing with Festus’ data uploads before the others arrived in the morning. With that out of the way he would be able to assist in making the ammunition, and loading up spare parts and leftover celestial bronze scraps for their trip west. And after that...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo paused, one hand halfway through the sleeve of a white collared shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that, then it would be time for them to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Son of Hephaestus had tried so hard throughout the past few weeks to </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> think about it. About leaving Camp Half-Blood in pursuit of their new quest to stop Gaea from opening the doors of death. He’d only heard the Prophecy of Seven two weeks ago. And he wasn’t exactly thrilled with what the apocalyptic poem had to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To storm or fire, the world must fall</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chocolate gaze trailed over to his open hand. He swallowed, daring to allow his power to flow into his palm, creating a tiny burning ember that grew into a small flame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of that Leo had no doubt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason, at the moment, was the most promising candidate for the ‘storm’ analogy. And knowing his friend (his noble, protective, keeper-of-justice-and-good friend) he highly doubted the Son of Jupiter would allow the world to be destroyed. Which meant that…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The world would burn. By Leo’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Said hand began to tremble, and the fire fed off of Leo’s unstable emotions, growing larger by the second. The heat of the flame startled Leo out of his stupor, his heart racing as memories of a warehouse, engulfed in bright orange and red, smoke curling from beneath the roof, flashed in his mind. Leo extinguished it with a vengeance, closing his hand into a fist in an attempt to regain control, breathing shaky and uneven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But his hand still trembled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo sat down heavily on the bench, exhaling a shuddering breath as he braced himself on his knees. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t think about it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought, forcing his mind to shove the words of the prophecy deep into the recess of his mind where he locked it away with all of the other doubts and failures that constantly plagued him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t think about it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His next breath was more steady; stronger, despite the churning in his guts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could hold it together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another minute passed in silence, the only sound the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears. Then, with a shake of his head, Leo dismissed the negative thoughts, hurrying to finish dressing. He’d wasted enough time lollygagging in the back room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was time to go work on his baby; and the idea of polishing what remained of his dragon brought a true smile to his face. A smile that faded not long after he’d re-emerged into the main hanger space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Booted feet had led him around the bow of the ship, a hand absently patting the base of the masthead in a silent promise to boot up the dragon once the software had finished downloading. But when he reached the main deck, he pulled up short.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two people were standing by the bow </span>
  <span>of the ship next to where Festus’s neck connected to the hull</span>
  <span>. Strangers to him, but then again, there were a lot of kids in this camp. And since Leo really didn’t go anywhere beside the bunker and Cabin Nine, the only other people who he saw aside from his cabinmates were visitors. Mostly Jason and Piper when they found the time, which was seemingly harder and harder for them to manage. And Annabeth, who always interrupted his work to insist they incorporate something or another into the ships designs; as though each request was as simple as ordering a pizza with an extra topping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> One boy was leaning against the railing, his dark hair starkly contrasting a set of electric blue eyes. The other was standing next to the mess of wires behind the animatronic, and Leo briefly noticed that the program was flashing green, signaling the upload had finished. The latter’s cropped sandy head turned in his direction, and Leo realized he’d seen those piercing emerald eyes before: staring at him from across the dining pavillion just hours earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo didn’t know their names, but by the look of them (sleeveless orange camp shirts and slightly torn blue jeans) they were certainly </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> from Cabin Nine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trying not to look as surprised as he felt, Leo hooked his thumbs into his toolbelt, meandering over but stopping a fair distance away. “Hey there, what brings you to Leo’s World?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Green eyes looked over at blue. “Mark, you can’t be serious?” He asked, addressing his companion. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> is their Head Counselor? The one that forced La Rue to comply with his demands?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s eyes narrowed. La Rue? That was… oh no.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was right, they weren’t from Cabin Nine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were from Cabin Five.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yu-p.” The dark haired demigod- Mark, apparently- popped the ‘p’, pushing away from the edge. “That’s the runt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>joking</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Clarisse gave in to </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> pipsqueak?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Green eyes flung out a hand to gesture at Leo, the smaller boy taking a wary step back at the movement. It was rare for the younger demigod to take notice of his shorter stature. Around his cabinmates and friend he didn’t ever feel like height was all that important. But now… now he was fully aware of just how </span>
  <em>
    <span>tiny</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was in comparison to the two brawny teens in front of him. His heart began to race, adrenalin starting to pump through his system in preparation for whatever was about to come next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno, Sherman.” Mark held up his hands, taking a few slow steps forward and angling himself towards Leo. “Seems to me like La Rue is getting soft. Might be time for new management in Cabin Five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’d you get her to cave, kid?” Sherman’s attention suddenly refocused on the younger demigod. “C’mon, there must be some kind of dirt you had on her. No way would she give in to the likes of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s racing heart slowed slightly. Maybe…. maybe he was misreading this whole confrontation. Maybe they just wanted to know what had happened. After all, Clarisse </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> promised they would stay out of their hair so Sherman and Mark probably just wanted to know why.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I started by asking nicely,” Leo began, his mouth weaving the lie easily. “That didn’t go so well so then I tried groveling: kneeling in the dirt and chanting ‘we’re not worthy’ and everything!” It was a shameless fib that Leo had no qualms over telling, he could see that the Sons of Ares wanted a good story more so than the truth; the burly teens already seeming satisfied with his tale. Leo felt himself relaxing a bit as he regaled the taller demigods with how pathetically he had begged and how imposing Clarisse had seemed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And when that didn’t work I promised to give her my dessert for a month and do her laundry for the next year.” Leo concluded. “She finally agreed and that was the end of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d said something wrong. Leo knew it as soon as he saw Sherman’s green eyes narrow suspiciously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clarisse hates sweets.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well shit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Leo opened his mouth but his mind went blank, “Uhh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark was a little slower on the uptake. He frowned, the furrow and slightly open mouth very accurately resembling that of an ape. Then understanding dawned and he glared at Leo. “Did you… did you just </span>
  <em>
    <span>lie</span>
  </em>
  <span> to us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Very </span>
  </em>
  <span>slow on the uptake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well-” But before Leo could try to talk his way out of the situation, Mark surged forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mechanic took a stuttering step back but the taller boy’s speed caught him off-guard. A hand fisted in the front of Leo’s shirt and the Son of Ares casual muscle easily lifted the scrawnier kid up, only to forcefully shove him back against the mast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo grabbed at the hand holding him, his other arm scrabbling towards his toolbelt in an attempt to pull out his trusty mallet. Sherman noticed the move, however, the green eyed boy stepping forwards in two long srtides and </span>
  <em>
    <span>ripping</span>
  </em>
  <span> the leather belt from Leo’s waist as if he was simply tearing a piece of paper in half.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo swallowed as Sherman tossed it aside, Hephaestus’ gift sliding across the polished metal floor to rest at the base of the bow. Its contents scattered across the deck, leaving a mess of fasteners and tools in its wake. His panic spiked at having his one means of retaliation taken from him, and Leo struggled against Mark’s grasp with renewed fervor, but it was like trying to move a steel bar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay… okay so brute force wouldn’t get him out of this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you give that back, please?” Leo asked after a moment, internally wincing when his voice wavered as terror spiked though his mind. “We’re kinda attached at the hip.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A jokester, huh?” Mark laughed, but it was mocking in nature. “I know some jokes, too! Wanna hear them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo very much doubted he had an actual say in the matter. “S-Sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knock knock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... who’s there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My fist.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air was driven from his lungs as Mark pounded his bowling ball of a hand into Leo’s side, releasing the smaller demigod simultaneously, allowing the momentum and gravity to send Leo smashing into the deck. The mechanic lie there, dazed for a moment in his prone position, one hand automatically curling around his midsection as if that would protect him from the blow that he’d just endured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That wasn’t even a joke, Mark.” Sherman drawled, sounding bored as he stepped closer. “Jokes go like this: Why did the demigod tell Clarisse what to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was still trying to refill his lungs with air, but he saw Mark turn to his half-sibling with a frown. “That’s not how the joke goes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman just rolled his eyes, nudging Leo with the toe of his shoe. “Well, pipsqueak? Not even gonna try and guess?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mechanic grimaced, raising his head to glare at the taller boy. “Because her brothers were being </span>
  <em>
    <span>cabróns</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo doubted either of them spoke Spanish, but the vehemence in his tone was telling enough. Mark’s face reddened with rage, but the same fury wasn’t as evident in Sherman. Instead, the green eyed demigod just smiled coldly and tilted his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not quite.” He said, and when he spoke Leo couldn’t help but shudder at how cold the words were. “The demigod told Clarisse what to do because he hasn’t properly learned how to hold his tounge.” Sherman took a step closer and Leo did his best to shuffle back. “And seeing as we’re the senior demigods here, it’s our duty to teach you proper manners.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo didn’t see it coming, the Son of Ares was wicked fast, the laces of his shoe whipping forwards to slam into Leo’s jaw. The force of the blow snapped the mechanic’s head back and his vision whited out.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>When Leo regained consciousness it was to the taste of his mother’s enchiladas.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ambrosia</span>
  </em>
  <span>, his sluggish mind supplied, seeing the empty bag of his emergency supplies on the ground. Sherman and Mark were looming above him, and Leo realized that he’d been propped against the main mast, slumped in a sitting position on the cool metal floor. He tried to move only to find that he couldn’t. And it took him a few seconds to realize why.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been tied to the mast. A thick length of rope was secured under his armpits, trapping him against the metal column, and he could feel the hemp rope digging into his wrists, hands lashed together on either side of the mast. The restraint connected around the back of the column so that his arms were pulled back into a painfully awkward position on either side of him; limbs not fully long enough to completely encircle the mast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo tried to quell his rising panic. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s okay</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he told himself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it’s okay</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>These idiots used rope, so all I have to do is burn through it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or, he tried to, at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the rope didn’t burn. Leo frowned, his heart racing as he gripped the restraints and tried again. That’s when he felt the waxy coating, and his hope shattered as he recognized exactly what he was bound </span>
  <em>
    <span>with</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It wasn’t just any rope. It was rope from the ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fireproof chord. Because he’d made it that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo swallowed hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His situation just got more complicated. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> more complicated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By that point, Mark had noticed his return to the world of the waking, and moved to crouch in front of him with a sick grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like he’s back with us.” The Son of Ares commented off hand to his brother. “Passing out on us like that when we’re in the middle of a lesson is horribly rude, y’know.” Leo winced as the buff teen patted his cheek none too gently. “Now where were we? Ah, right, you were going to apologize for bossing around our Cabin Leader.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the situation, Leo felt his lips turn up in a wan smile. “I’d love to but, as you can see, my hand are tied at the moment- ummph!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air was driven from his lungs as Mark’s fist connected with his stomach.The bully sighed, “Still making jokes, I see. At least the other ones were funny. That one was just pathetic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to agree.” Leo wheezed as he regained his breath. “Who taught you to punch? Aphrodite?” The only answer he got was a boot ramming into his side. Leo gasped in pain, but refused to give in. “That… that felt more like it. Not quite up to par, but hey, you’re only targeting a defenseless camper so what can I expect-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo saw it coming, and he had enough time to turn his face, but the punch still landed squarely, snapping his head to the side. But Mark didn’t stop there, continuing the barrage with well placed hits to his abdomen, cheek, and jaw that Leo had no doubt would bruise terribly but still allow him to function.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Son of Ares punctuated each blow with a word. “Why. Won’t. You. Just. Shut. Up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he was done, he stepped back, breathing heavily. Leo was panting as well, his mind furiously trying to devise a way to get out of the situation in one piece. Unfortunately, with each passing moment, that was beginning to seem less and less likely to happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First you want me to apologize, then you want me to shut up.” He wasn’t going to cave that easily, raising a steely gaze to meet theirs. “Would you make up your mind already?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark’s mouth twisted in ire, and without warning he picked up his foot and slammed the heel of his shoe into Leo’s ribs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo couldn’t hold back a choked scream as he felt something </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Black dots splashed across his vision, and everything around him became a blur as </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain pain PAIN </span>
  </em>
  <span>consumed his thoughts. His upper torso curled in as much as it could, head bowed as Leo tried to alleviate some of the ache, but it was like trying to douse a wildfire with a squirt gun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His breaths came in shallow gasps, but even that small movement set his nerve endings on fire- agony coursing through his body like a live wire. He whimpered, the noise only seeming to please his captors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like you finally found the mute button.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman’s words barely registered in Leo’s ears. But Mark chuckled all the same, leaning over and sneering, “What? No witty comeback? I’m all ears, runt.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even if Leo had the capacity to think of a quippy remark, he couldn’t draw the breath to say it. His silence must’ve irked Mark (at this point Leo didn’t know what to do- if he talked it annoyed them, if he didn’t it still annoyed them and either way, he didn’t see a way out of his predicament) because the Son of Ares reached down, grabbing a fistful of Leo’s curly locks and yanking his head up and back to crash it into the mast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dull thump was lost amidst the hurricane of torment coursing through Leo’s body, but he still grunted on impact, hearing the gears inside the ship vibrate from the force of the hit. The upright position also pulled painfully on his aching- </span>
  <em>
    <span>and most likely broken</span>
  </em>
  <span>- ribs.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait a minute…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Gears?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe… maybe there </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a way out of this after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo squeezed his eyes shut, the palms of his bound hands pressing flat against the cold metal of the ship’s mast. He heard Mark chuckle from somewhere on his right. “Aww… look at that. He’s gonna cry. How is that going to help you, little forge brat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Leo wasn’t crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was concentrating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beneath him was a myriad of machine parts, thrumming with potential. Leo wove his way deep into the inner workings of the Argo II, feeling relays and switch contacts respond to his probing. He pushed harder, delving deeper into the systems and components, searching for and finding what he needed. After a few more moments, he was ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened his eyes, and Mark’s smirk faded at what he saw in the Son of Hephaestus’ gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no moisture or tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get off… my ship.” Leo commanded, his tone low and dangerous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the next second, the Argo II came to life with a roar- specifically, Festus’ roar, as the dragon animatronic’s head swiveled around to blow a stream of white-hot flames at Leo’s assailants. The Sons of Ares stumbled back in surprise, but Leo wasn’t finished. The deck slid back on either side of him and Nyssa’s giant twin repeating crossbow unfolded from the floor, locked and loaded and aiming at the two intruders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Mark scrambled away, and even Sherman moved back from the main mast; green and blue eyes blown wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was their turn to be afraid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus roared again and the two scampered towards the gangplank. A column of flames blocked their path, the Son of Ares recoiling from the intensity of the inferno. The gangplank retracted into the hull within seconds, cutting off their escape. Both crossbows fired, bolts aimed slightly off to the side of the demigods. They weren’t of the explosive variety, but the barbed tip still drove the bullied back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo didn’t want to hurt them, after all. A lance of pain spiked through his head; from his ribs or from where his skull had been forcefully acquainted with the metal mast he wasn’t sure. Okay… so maybe a little bit of hurt wouldn’t- well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, how Leo wished he could laugh at his own pun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He concentrated, empowering the circuits as the weapons reloaded, taking better aim this time. Sherman seemed to have sensed Leo’s intent to harm them, the older demigod all but shoving his half-brother towards the railing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo fired just as they jumped over the side of the ship, falling the long distance to the bunker floor where Leo heard them land with a thud. For a moment, he feared the drop may have killed them, but then the shuffle of feet making for the bunker door echoed around the hanger. But it was only after said door had swung shut with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>clang</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Leo allowed himself to relax, shoulders slumping as far as they could in the restraints.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crossbows powered down, and the ships gears slowed. A wave of exhaustion crashed over the mechanic, eyes fluttering faintly. He tried to take deep breaths but the throbbing in his ribs discouraged the action. Leo winced, closing his eyes as a jolt of pain spasmed through his lungs. Distantly, as if through a long tunnel, he heard Festus clacking worredly, the sound bouncing around in his head to join the pulses from the lump that he could feel forming under his curls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m… fine, Festus.” The words were barely a whisper. Leo opened his eyes and feebly tugged at the ropes restraining his hands, but they didn’t give. He worked at them while he spoke reassuringly to the dragon. “Just need… a moment… to-” He cut off with a cry as his motions caused the rope under his armpits to slip down a fraction so that it was now pressing lower on his side, right where beefhead number one had been kicking him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head dropped down to his chest, panting gasps all that escaped his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus whirred again, the vibration from the noise traveling through the mast and causing Leo to realize he was still the one providing power to the dragon. Leo’s eyes slid to half mast as he wordlessly sent an apology to the animatronic, knowing Festus would probably panic when he was next powered on, before cutting off his waning energy to the dragons circuits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Red polycarbonate eyes dimmed as a second wave of fatigue rolled over him, and this time, Leo didn’t resist. Allowing it to drag him under the surface and into oblivion.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading.</p><p>Soooo.... anyone wanna come with me to grab some pitchforks and torches to hunt down those monsters??? We ride at dawn, who's with me!!!!!</p><p>If you liked (or disliked) anything in this chapter I'm always happy to hear from you down in the comment section below :)</p><p>Until Friday!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The one where Jake fears for his life, Nyssa wants to kill both of her half-brothers (but she won't), and Leo is found in a bit of a predicament.</p><p>Or: A continuation of last chapter's shitshow.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Happy Friday!<br/>Thanks to those who left kudos and especially to my two reviewers from last chapter &lt;3 Y'all are the best!</p><p>A quick note about the title of this one: 'Oscillations' is a term used in aviation to describe the up and down motion a plane takes to correct itself when it's been disturbed from it's flight angle/path. Basically, something happened to upset the balance of the control surfaces, and the oscillations are physics' natural way to try and correct the disturbance and get things back to normal.</p><p>It's a bit (okay, a LOT) symbolic of the rest of this arc.<br/>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 14: Oscillations</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Nyssa was roused from her blissful slumber with a rough shake. The method was strange in it of itself: Usually her alarm woke her up with it’s incessantly drab tone. Stranger still that she was being woken so early, a glance at said timing device showing that it was only 6:30. Turning bleary eyes upwards, she found that someone was standing next to her bed. Nyssa frowned up at Jake, who flashed her a mischievous grin.</p><p>“My my, but don’t we look <em> ravishing </em> this morning!” He said brightly, the former head counselor clearly doing his best to stifle a laugh.</p><p>At what, her sleep-addled brain was still in the process of figuring out. Slowly, Nyssa pushed herself into an upright position, groaning as tense muscles were stretched for the first time that day. For some reason, her discomfort only improved upon Jake’s mood, the older boy now biting onto the tip of his thumb to keep from letting out a noise.</p><p>“<em> What </em>.” She snapped, the sound growling out from the depths of her throat. “Is so funny, Mason.” Despite the heat, she kept her tone low, not wanting to wake the others before it was time for breakfast- gods knew they could all use the rest.</p><p>“Oh, nothing, nothing” Jake flapped a hand in her direction, “I just… <em> love </em> what you’ve done with your hair!” And at long last it became too much, the former Cabin Nine leader doubling over as amused chortles shook his shoulders.</p><p>If the idiot didn’t quiet down, he was going to wake the rest of the cabin.</p><p>It took her a half second more to register his words.</p><p><em> Her… hair? </em> Nyssa frowned in confusion, slowly raising a hand. Okay, so maybe she just had a bad case of bedhead- it wasn’t <em> that </em> uncommon for her to wake up with the occasional cowlick- but then why… Nyssa’s hands stilled as she found the cause of Jake’s amusement.</p><p>It wasn’t a cowlick.</p><p>Nyssa threw her sheets off and rushed to the bathroom mirror. She stared for a long time, not quite believing what she was seeing.</p><p>A bow.</p><p>A big, fluffy, <em> pink </em> bow with polka dots had been fastened to the top of her head with… was that- was that super glue! She tugged at it and winced, realizing that yes, the horrid pink <em> monstrosity </em> was securely fastened to her head. And it wasn’t coming off. Nyssa’s hand closed around a decently-sized spanner wrench that someone had left on the sink counter. Her knuckles were white against the metal as she stormed back into the bunk room.</p><p>Pranks and cheap tricks were one thing, but this?</p><p>He was going to die for this.</p><p>“<em> MASON! </em>”</p><p>She didn’t care that her roar sent the entire cabin scrambling from the vestiges of sleep. She supposed she should feel guilty for the rude awakening, but at the moment she had just one goal, and one goal only.</p><p>There was the telltale flash of a camera and she turned to see Jake smiling as he took the film daintily. “Oh man, wait until I show Leo this one!” Then his eyes met hers and the smile disappeared faster than a shadow in the sun. His face lost all color as he took a slow step back. “N-Now Nys, it was just a joke. It washes off easily, I promise-”</p><p>“Run.”</p><p>Jake was lucky to get the warning and he knew it, running so fast he kicked up dust in his wake. Nyssa looked to her rousing cabinmates, only some of them aware enough to understand what was happening, and said “This is his nightmare. You lot can go back to sleep.” </p><p>The early morning air was crisp and cool, the general calm of the camp disrupted only by the pounding of feet and the intimidating aura of one Daughter of Hephaestus as she chased after her half-brother. Despite being physically fit, Nyssa was still trailing behind Jake by a good length. She blamed it on the un-aerodynamic hairpiece. But it wasn’t long before she realized that he was taking a very familiar path: the one that led to the Bunker.</p><p>That was fine with her. The Bunker had only one entry and exit: Jake would be running into a dead end. Quite literally, for him.</p><p>By the time they reached it, Nyssa was covered in a thin layer of sweat, gooseflesh prickling her arms as the wind cooled the liquid on her skin. She was sure the tank-top and shorts didn’t help matters, leaving a large portion of her exposed to the elements; but despite Nyssa’s enraged rush to wallop her sibling, she’d at least had the foresight to slip into a pair of sneakers first.</p><p>Nyssa followed after Jake, scanning her gaze around the room to find him scrabbling around one of the worktables. He reached behind a pile of prototype controllers, pulling out a plastic one that closely resembled a rc car remote, relief washing over his face at the acquisition.</p><p>“Thank the gods.” He breathed, turning and jumping when he saw how close in proximity his adversary was. “Nyssa, you don’t want to do this.” He cautioned.</p><p>She scoffed, grabbing a second wrench- a large adjustable one- from a nearby bench. “No, I think <em> you </em> don’t want me to do this. Because I really, <em> really </em> do.”</p><p>“Then you leave me no choice.” Jake responded dramatically, flipping a power switch while his lips turned up in the corner. “I think it’s time to test out your weapons system.”</p><p>The ships engines whirred to life, but Nyssa’s yell was ten times louder as she leapt forwards, striking out with the wrench. Jake yelped, backpedaling and brilliantly using the only thing at his disposal that wasn’t made of flesh and bone to deflect the attack. Wrench met remote and sparks flew as the metal tool crushed the electrical components inside the plastic box.</p><p>A sharp jolt zinged through her arm but Nyssa ignored the shock, shaking her hand out and taking another step towards the now completely defenseless Jake. The older boy visibly swallowed, moving back a pace. He opened his mouth as if to plead for his life when the grating of metal gears screeched from above. There was a muted clang as the ships ramp slammed down behind Nyssa, the girl turning in surprise- <em> why had the gangplank been retracted? </em>- at the sudden noise.</p><p>From above, Festus hissed again, red polycarbonate eyes glowering down at the two bickering half-siblings with an intensity that reminded Nyssa of when the dragon had first gone haywire. They both gaped at the dragon, all thoughts of their previous argument gone. Their confused silence only seemed to agitate the animatronic, Festus’ gears grinding as he jerked his head towards the lowered ramp.</p><p>He did so once more before either of them moved, Jake tilting his head. “You… want us to come up?”</p><p>Festus nodded, eyes glowing brighter as his pistons whirred. The mechanized dragon looked back over towards the center of the ship with something akin to a concerned croon in it’s morse-code language.</p><p>“Uh… okay then.” But Jake glanced at Nyssa first. “Truce?”</p><p>“Oh this is <em> so </em> not over, Mason.” Nyssa promised darkly, but she moved aside all the same.</p><p>She followed behind her former Cabin Leader as he made his way to the deck where the ballistae were already surfaced. Nyssa’s brow furrowed. Despite his threat, Jake hadn’t <em> actually </em> managed to call forth the weapons systems before she’d smashed the remote. So as to why the weapons were already out and armed was a question she couldn’t solve.</p><p>Between the sheets of metal she could find her answer, eyes glimpsing Leo’s classic white shirt and cargo pants through the gaps. The fact that the hispanic was on the main deck could mean only one of two things:</p><p>1. That he had pulled <em> another </em> all nighter to finagle with the weapons, or</p><p>2. That he fell asleep while working (<em> again </em>, not that Nyssa should be surprised at that- he spent more time drooling on drafting tables than he did pillows) and once more neglected to utilize the cot she had so graciously acquired for him.</p><p>Either way, the result was that Nyssa’s aggravation returned in full force. <em> Why </em> her two mechanically intelligent half-brothers insisted on undermining their talents with stupidity was beyond her. And at this point, she was done with the both of them. Nyssa pushed past Jake, feet carrying her around the ballistae. “I swear I will duct tape you to that cot if I find you sleeping anywhere other than-” but the threat died on her lips as she rounded the weapon, feet pulling up short at what she saw.</p><p>The middle of the deck was a mess: tools scattered around the space in a manner unbefitting any experienced mechanic. Various fasteners and electrical relays having spilled from the pouches of a familiar toolbelt that had been tossed to the far side of the ship. Leo was propped against the mast, a length of thick chord wrapped around his chest and securing his hands on either side of the cylindrical structure. His head was slumped forwards, chin to his chest, eyes closed.</p><p>“What in Hades…” Jake’s spoken sentiment echoed Nyssa’s thoughts as he too pulled up short at the sight. Festus whirred again, conveying a series of worried clicks as the masthead tried to get a view of his mechanic around the obstacles; the dragons neck too short to properly see.</p><p>The noise broke Nyssa’s stupor and she rushed over, Jake following closely behind. She dropped to her knees at Leo’s side, hands hovering over the still form of her younger half-brother. Jake whipped out a multitool, extending the blade and sawing through the rope. A moment later Leo’s arm fell with a <em> thunk, </em> and Jake moved around the mast to do the same on the other side. A brief glance revealed that the skin beneath had been abraided, rubbed raw from the unnatural position. But that wasn’t Nyssa’s main concern at the moment. </p><p>The older girl tapped on the side of Leo’s face, trying to wake him. She was rewarded with a low groan and a slight lolling of his head, but Leo remained unconscious. Nyssa’s stomach dropped. It just wasn’t natural… seeing Leo so still.</p><p>Jake worked at the binding around Leo’s midriff, and when it had snapped free, Leo’s upper half began slipping sideways. Nyssa hurried to catch him, snaking her arms around his chest; but the moment she did, Leo gave a pained cry and tried to curl in on himself. Fetus mirrored the sound a second later, the grinding of pistons grating on Nyssa’s ears.</p><p>Panic spiked in her heart and she very nearly let go of her Cabin Leader. But some part of her mind that wasn’t in full on worry mode rationalized that dropping an injured person was a very bad idea. Instead, she quickly adjusted her grip, supporting Leo from behind and holding him against her chest. Leo whimpered softly, eyes fluttering sluggishly and breath catching in the telltale sign of wakefulness.</p><p>“Leo? Leo can you hear me?” And if her voice wavered in that moment Nyssa didn’t take notice. Because she had to know… she had to make sure he was okay. Clouded brown eyes slitted open (the left one was nearly swollen shut) to look up at her and Leo’s brow pinched in confusion as he struggled to focus on her face for a long moment.</p><p>When he spoke, his voice was low and raspy. “Minnie… mouse?”</p><p>And despite the situation, and the fact that her delirious half-brother was mistaking her for a cartoon character because of the giant pink bow on her head, Nyssa let out a relieved huff of laughter. “No, not- not quite.”</p><p>Her voice must’ve sparked some kind of recognition, because Leo blinked hard and some vestige of clarity returned. “N-Nys?” A hazy gaze flitted around the area. “Jake? When did you-” Leo had started to rise, but he halted the movement abruptly with a moan. One arm moved to curl around his chest protectively and his eyes squeezed shut as the younger boy slumped back down.</p><p>At the, albeit quiet, voice of his mechanic, Festus whirred again, a jet of steam hissing out through his pipes. The dragons gears whirred loudly, causing Leo to wince at the noise, eyes screwing tighter.</p><p>“Festus… sorry, bud, but… <em> demasiado ruidoso </em> .” Leo’s hand twitched up towards his ears as if to cover them. “ <em> M-mas suave, por favor. </em>”</p><p>“What happened?” Jake’s words was sharp with concern, Nyssa’s own fear spiking at the shift from english to spanish. Leo did it occasionally when joking with them, but it was never more than the occasional ‘<em> Dios </em>’ or other simple ones that could be inferred through context. “Who did this?”</p><p>It dawned on Nyssa then, that this was no mere accident or maintenance mishap (not that she thought it was to begin with, but her mind had been a bit too preoccupied to try and piece that together). Someone…. someone had <em> done this </em> to her Cabin Leader. To her <em> little brother </em> . Rage and concern warred for dominance as Nyssa’s free hand curled into a fist. She vowed to find who did this, who <em> dared </em> to harm her sibling in such a manner, and she would make them regret ever touching a hair on Leo’s head.</p><p>“<em> L-lo siento </em> .” The apology was barely a breath, the words whispering from between Leo’s lips. He hadn’t reopened his eyes, brow creasing in discomfort. “ <em> Todo es mi culpa. Lo siento… lo siento… </em>” Leo’s voice had grown softer with each sentence until it petered out, his body losing its tension as he slipped into the realm of unconsciousness once more.</p><p>“Hey- after all this time <em> now </em> is when you wanna sleep?” It took all she had for Nyssa to keep her voice from quivering with fear as she patted his cheek gently. “C’mon Leo, open your eyes. Wake up!” But nothing she did roused the smaller boy.</p><p>Jake sucked in a harsh breath, eyes trained on something under the fabric of Leo’s shirt. “This is really bad.” Nyssa almost snapped back with a ‘<em> No shit Sherlock! </em> ’ until she saw what Jake was looking at. A bruise. A <em> big </em>one. Hued a deep blue and purple, and spread across the entirety of Leo’s left side.</p><p><em> Shit… </em> no wonder he’d yelped when she grabbed him.</p><p>“We need to get him to medical.” Nyssa managed as she fought down the sudden urge to throw up. “He needs ambrosia and nectar.”</p><p>Jake nodded in agreement and Nyssa shifted, carefully collecting her younger brother into her arms, bridal style. They had taken all of two steps towards to ramp when a crunch underfoot made Jake hesitate. The older boy bent over to pick something up as Nyssa continued towards the exit.</p><p>She paused when she noticed his absence, turning only to find his face had paled considerably. In his hands was a clear, empty plastic bag. “What is it now?”</p><p>“It’s… ambrosia. Or, it <em> was </em> ambrosia. Leo kept a stash in his toolbelt, ever since he got back from his quest.” Jake peered at the bag. “The thing is… there was still some left last week. I saw him offer Jason a piece at dinner.”</p><p>Nyssa remembered that night too, Leo had sat with them at their cabin table for the third night in a row, and after the meal he’d made his way over to where Jason had been massaging sparring practice injuries. The Son of Jupiter had refused with a smile, but the bag had still held a few squares at the time.</p><p>Now it was empty.</p><p>Nyssa didn’t know what to make of it at the moment, so instead she listened to her gut. “Does it matter? Let’s <em> go </em> Mason. Move your ass.”</p><p>Jake started out of his thoughts and nodded, tucking the bag into his pocket as they left the Bunker; the older demigod stopping one last time to assure Festus that they would be back soon, the dragon having gotten agitated at the sight of them leaving with Leo. Once they were outside, Nyssa wanted to run. Wanted to get to the medical tent as fast as her legs could carry her. But trying to jog through an overgrown, root filled forest would only agitate Leo’s wound further and she wasn’t about to let that happen. Not on her watch. Still, she went as fast as she dared, keeping her focus trained on Jake as he picked his way down the long forgotten trail that led back to camp.</p><p>Even with all of her caution, she still jostled his side on occasion, and Leo winced every time, head turning instinctively to bury it into her shoulder after a particularly jarring stumble.</p><p>It was hot.</p><p>Hotter than normal, at any rate. Leo’s unique ability to be fireproof resulted in the demigod’s internal body temperature always seeming to be higher than normal; but what Nyssa could feel on her skin was much too warm, even for him. She looked down at the sweat soaked brow, strands of his unruly carob hair sticking to his forehead.</p><p>Nyssa was no medic, but having a fever along with severe bruising was probably not a good sign. Her feet pounded on the soft earth below with a new sense of urgency, and her grip tightened ever so slightly. Leo mumbled something incoherent, breath hot on her exposed skin.</p><p><em> He was so small </em>.</p><p>The random thought flitted through her mind, taking Nyssa by surprise. Sure, she knew Leo wasn’t the tallest demigod in Cabin Nine, but his height had never been a factor she’d taken notice of until now. He had this larger than life presence, and a personality to match: so much so that even the concept of small could hardly be applied to the demigod.</p><p>But now, cradled in Nyssa’s arms with uneven breathing ghosting past his lips, he felt tiny.</p><hr/><p>Nyssa hated the infirmary. It smelled too clean; the scent of rubbing alcohol and antiseptic seeping from every bed both empty and occupied. At present, they were all empty; save for one where a child of Hypnos had fallen asleep (it was nearly impossible to wake them once they dozed off- easier to just them commandeer the bed). Had it been later in the day, closer to when training activities began, Nyssa had no doubt that there would be more activity: children of Apollo rushing about working to cure whatever hurts were acquired during the day.</p><p>At the moment, it was only the overnight healer on duty.</p><p>Will Solace looked up as they entered, faint shadows under his eyes from staying up all evening. His sky blue eyes widened as he took in the three of them as they entered, the blond standing quickly from the desk near the back and making his way over. A scrutinizing gaze efficiently scanned over them, lingering- naturally- on Leo’s form still cradled in Nyssa’s arms.</p><p>“What happened?” He asked once he was within earshot.</p><p>That seemed to be the question of the day. Nyssa tuned out Jake’s rushed explanation, thoughts lingering on the words. <em> What </em> did <em> happen </em>? The only one who knew for sure was currently unable to tell them.</p><p>Once he’d gotten the rundown of the situation, Will gestured for her to lay Leo down on the bed. Only… she didn’t want to let go. Nyssa knew it was stupid- they’d made it, Leo would be okay now, Will would make sure of it- but the thought of putting him down gave her pause. Throughout their rush to the infirmary, she could feel the shallow rise and fall of the younger demigod’s chest as he breathed; laying him on the bed would deny her that small comfort.</p><p>After another half second of hesitation, Nyssa settled for a compromise, gently placing Leo atop the pristine white sheets. One of her hands lingered in his as she sat at the chair by the bed.</p><p>Nyssa was quiet as Will began looking over her younger half-sibling. Her mind wandered as he examined the bruise, trying to think of just <em> who </em> would want to hurt Leo. Well… aside from her. But her threats were teasing in nature, and rarely followed through on unless someone truly crossed a line. The same went for any of her half-siblings. Even then, she would never go <em> this </em> far. At the reminder of how they’d found their Cabin Leader, Nyssa’s grip tightened around Leo’s limp one.</p><p>No… this wasn’t the work of anyone from Cabin Nine. So then who?</p><p>Cabin Five. That answer made the most sense. Ares’ kids were the default bullies of the camp so it fit, but at the same time, Nyssa had nothing to prove it was their doing.</p><p>More so, Leo had a tendency to be annoying. Well, not as much annoying as he was pesky; always joking and teasing his fellow campers when he wasn’t working in the bunker. It wasn’t rare for the Hispanic to cross the occasional line, but he had always been quick to back off if that occurred. Still, Nyssa couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility that it had been someone he’d offended who took a chance to retaliate.</p><p>All of which only meant that the pool of suspects was fairly large.</p><p>Jake was quiet too, but his contemplation was not directed at the bed, but rather the bag. The empty plastic one he’d taken from the Argo II. Nyssa could practically see the gears turning in his head as he puzzled through whatever issue he thought he’d found. It was only seconds after Will returned with a small vial of golden nectar that clarity took over the confusion.</p><p>“Wait!” Jake lunged forward, grabbing Will’s arm before the Son of Apollo could bring the drink to Leo’s lips. “You can’t give him that.”</p><p>“The <em> hell </em>he can’t!” Nyssa rose, shoulders stiff as she faced her half-brother. “Leo’s hurt and-”</p><p>“And what if he’s already had some?” Jake asked, pulling out the empty ambrosia bag. “What if Leo already ate ambrosia?”</p><p>“If he did, he’d hardly be in <em> this </em> condition!” Nyssa retorted hotly, flinging a hand out to gesture at the bedridden demigod.</p><p>Jake’s voice was just as combative. “Unless he was hurt <em> after </em> eating the food of the gods.”</p><p>“Why would he-”</p><p>“I don’t know!” Jake threw his arms up in exasperation. “But if I’m right, and he <em> did </em> eat the rest of his ambrosia between dinner last night and now, then having him drink more nectar could….” The former Cabin leader didn’t finish the thought, swallowing nervously, eyes darting to the bed and back. His tone was softer and a tad fearful. “Do you <em> really </em> think we should take that chance?”</p><p>Uneasy silence settled between the two siblings.</p><p>Nyssa tapped her fingers against her leg as her thoughts turned inward. If… if Jake was right… but it made no sense! Why would Leo just eat ambrosia <em> before </em> taking what looked to be a nasty beating? She knew the food of the gods was magically altered to taste like a person’s favorite comfort food (for her it was her step-father’s homemade snickerdoodles) but Chiron had always strongly discouraged casual consumption of the stuff for the exact point Jake had just made: eating too much could cause a demigod to literally burn up-</p><p>Her hand stilled. Oh gods…</p><p>“He has a fever.” She mumbled, eyes turning back to Leo. They lingered on his still sweaty brow and flushed cheeks. Suddenly she was no longer against Jake’s caution. “We can’t give him nectar.”</p><p>Will still looked a bit lost, but he nodded. “We’ll use physical and herbal medications then, at least until we know for sure.” He placed the cup down on the bedside table. “I can give him a fever reducer and something for the pain.”</p><p>“What about the bruise?” Jake asked.</p><p>The Son of Apollo shook his head with an apologetic look. “If something is broken, then trying to splint it would only make things worse. Putting pressure on it with a wrap might cause it to puncture a lung, so the most I can do is get some ice to reduce the swelling.”</p><p>Unreasonable resentment surged in Nyssa as she glowered at the healer. “That’s it? That’s all you can do?”</p><p>Will turned his bright eyes on her, sky blue gaze hardening like steel: Yet his tone was compassionate when he spoke. “I know you’re worried. But Leo will be fine, I promise. We’re only withholding the nectar until he wakes to tell us what happened himself; once we know for sure how long it’s been since he’s eaten the ambrosia- if he had any at all- we can move forward. Until that time, he needs rest.”</p><p>Nyssa tamped down on the urge to scowl at Will. She had no right to argue with him, he <em> was </em> the leader of Cabin Seven for a reason, but she couldn’t help it. She felt useless, standing right next to Leo and yet unable to do anything to ease his pain.</p><p>“And in order for <em> that </em> to happen,” Will said, apparently not done speaking, “I must respectfully ask the both of you to leave.”</p><p>“<em> What- </em>”</p><p>“We understand.” Jake interrupted Nyssa’s outraged cry, grabbing her arm and steering her towards the exit. “Please, take care of our brother, Will.”</p><p>The last thing Nyssa saw before the tent flap fell closed was the healer dipping his head solemnly. Outside, the sun had crested the horizon, casting it’s light across the entirety of the camp. But Nyssa felt no warmth. She wrenched herself from Jake’s grip, turning on the blond with fire on her tounge.</p><p>“What in Hades do you think you’re doing!” She shouted, “Leaving Leo when he’s… when he’s like that. We should be at his side! Not getting thrown out like some invasive pest!”</p><p>“You think I want to leave him there by himself?” Jake’s retort was just as scalding, the older boy running a hand through his hair. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be at the moment, but we can’t just sit at his bedside and watch him breathe.”</p><p>“And why the <em> hell </em> not?”</p><p>“Because there’s still work to do.”</p><p>Nyssa couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Work? How can you possibly think about that at a time like this?”</p><p>The running joke that her cabinmates cared more about their machines than their fellow campers had always seemed like just that, a joke. Never did Nyssa seriously consider that for some of her half-siblings it might very well be true. But this was <em> Jake Mason </em> she was talking to: the same idiot who ran after a haywire dragon to try and shut it down so it wouldn’t continue it’s camp-wide rampage. Even if the rumor applied to some of the newer campers who could get a bit carried away with their personal projects (Leo included), Jake wasn’t one of them. At least… she hadn’t thought he was.</p><p>Maybe she was wrong.</p><p>“The others will be heading to breakfast soon,” Jake replied in lieu of an answer. “And what do you propose we tell them when they realize Leo is missing? That he was beat up and hog tied to the Argo’s mast by some unknown entity?”</p><p>“Well-”</p><p>“Or,” Jake’s voice dropped low, a hand crushing the plastic bag as he brought it to eye level. “Would you rather find the bastard who used this on him, and make sure he has a worse wake-up call than Leo did?”</p><p>The words registered slowly, but when they did, Nyssa couldn’t repress the feral grin that creased her lips. Shame on her for doubting the older demigod. Jake wasn’t abandoning their Cabin Leader; he was avenging him. And Nyssa felt honored to take part in said payback.</p><p>With a common goal in mind, the two set off towards the ring of cabins. But Jake cleared his throat nervously as they drew nearer to the multitude of buildings. “Before we start,” He coughed suggestively, eyes flicking up to the top of her head. “You, uhh, might want to lose the big pink bow, <em> Minnie </em>.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Ooohh man... Ares just made a HUGE mistake in getting on Nyssa's bad side...</p><p>As always, I value your thought and opinions and reactions- they bring a smile to my face every time I read them and, well, I just really appreciate those who take the time to leave them :)</p><p>Have a wonderful start to the weekend!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mark and Sherman get what's coming to them... just not from the person they'd expected...</p><p>Or: Clarisse does Nyssa and Jake's job for them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Okay- I did it again, and this time, I will apologize by posting TWO CHAPTERS today and then another one tomorrow. So it has been said, so shall it be done!</p><p>Super sorry about that- my Sunday morning started with a fire alarm at 1:30 am (as in, 1:30 in the MORNING) and ended with me capsizing a kayak and nearly waterlogging my phone so.... yeah, posting was one of the last things on my mind. I apologize.</p><p>But enough about life- that's boring anyway.<br/>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 15: Broken Vows and Broken Bones</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clarisse’s day had gone from bad to worse, and she hadn’t even finished her breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>First it had been the warning notification from Chiron; Clarisse had woken up to find a neatly folded sheet of paper fastened to the corner of her bed. The letter, in it of itself, wasn’t terribly surprising. The old centaur was rarely one to disturb his campers during the night unless the matter was of vital importance. However, the message written on the page was far more concerning. One of her cabinmates had been caught breaking the new curfew regulation; Chiron’s memo stated, in no uncertain terms, that should another member of the Ares cabin be found out after hours, Cabin Nine would be regulated to kitchen duty for the rest of the month (of which there were a solid three weeks remaining).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Daughter of Ares was already prepared to chew out the idiot- the name Mark Finnigan staring at her from the page- for being so stupid; not for breaking curfew, people did that all the time, but for being dumb enough to get caught by </span>
  <em>
    <span>going to the infirmary after midnight</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You had to be some kind of imbecile to get caught in such a simple manner. Clarisse knew her half-siblings weren’t the sharpest blades in the armory, but reading that sentence in Chiron’s message made her blood boil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But before Clarisse could even think of the many ways in which to beat some sense into Mark’s thick skull, Sherman-effing-</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yang</span>
  </em>
  <span>, of all people, had physically stood in the door to stop her from leaving the cabin. Then the fool went and declared his challenge for the Head Counselor position. Half of their cabinmates hadn’t even been fully dressed when he’d issued the statement. Sherman was at least smarter than the average Ares kid, he knew that an open challenge in front of the rest of the cabin was a show of force (an attribute every kid of Cabin Five demanded in their Head Counselor), a bold declaration that almost ensured the current Cabin Leader would accept.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that Clarisse had any intention of declining in the first place. The Daughter of Ares knew she wouldn’t be Head of Cabin Nine- a job that was basically being a glorified babysitter- forever, but she wasn’t going to step down a moment before </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to. And she certainly wasn’t about to let</span>
  <em>
    <span> this</span>
  </em>
  <span> half-brother take her place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman was a semi-decent fighter, Clarisse would give him that, but he was no leader. He could manhandle their half-siblings into obeying an order with the best of them, but had no clue how to compel them to keep that discipline if his back was turned. He wasn’t even good at following in that manner. On the other hand, she had struck a balance between letting her cabinmates </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span> they were doing what they wanted, when in reality they were doing what she commanded. And for that Clarisse not only had earned the respect of her half-sibling, but had set a </span>
  <em>
    <span>standard </span>
  </em>
  <span>in Cabin Five, one that Sherman would topple it in two days flat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse rose to the challenge with only a brief hesitation at the sudden statement (challenges weren’t rare, but the timing of this one had blindsided her), grinning like a wolf at the thought of pummeling Sherman into the ground and putting him back in his place. She even gave a sampling reminder of her strength by bodily shoving him out of her way while declaring nothing was happening until lunchtime- she didn’t want him to pin his loss on sleepiness or a stomach ache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Each cabin had their own way of selecting a new Head Counselor: for the Athena kids it was usually a battle of wits, for Aphrodite it devolved to a simple popularity contest, for Ares it was (surprise, surprise) a fight to draw first blood. News would spread and of course they were going to have an audience. She’d have to curb her temper so as not to embarass Sherman when she beat him. At least, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> badly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, yeah, her day was going just </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span> so far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse rolled her shoulder as she shoveled a spoonful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. In addition to all of this she’d woken up uncomfortably sore. There was no ‘usual’ practice for people with the gumption to keep improving, and she’d pushed herself especially hard yesterday. In a few hours it would feel more like a familiar workout ache, but for now she was ready to bite the hand off the next thing that poked her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her cabinmates knew this and had given her a good berth to eat in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only after she’d chugged the rest of her coffee that Clarisse felt the presence of someone coming to stand behind her. Thumping the empty mug on the table, and knowing that this person was exceedingly lucky caffeine was a magic in its own right, the Daughter of Ares stabbed one of her remaining sausages with her knife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoever you are, and whatever you want, I suggest you ask someone else.” She growled out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m pretty sure I want to ask you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What </span>
  </em>
  <span>was</span>
  <em>
    <span> it today with people trying to ruin her morning?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Clarisse’s gripped the eating utensil hard enough for the metal to actually bend under the pressure. She cast a baleful eye over her shoulder, careful to tamp down on her quickly building aggravation. “What do you want, Barrera?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa’s look was dark enough to shadow travel from, the Daughter of Hephaestus’ hands folded tightly across her chest. “We need to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So talk.” Clarisse turned her back on the girl, ripping the sausage from the knife with her teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of all the campers in Camp Half-Blood, Nyssa Barrera was one of the few people Clarisse didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> despise (this particular list was small enough to be counted on one hand). Despite being a forge brat, Nyssa had a fiery streak in her; a ferocity that Clarisse rarely saw in the pipsqueaks outside of her own cabinmates. When she’d first arrived at the camp, Clarisse had given her the same treatment as the rest of the runts, but Nyssa had quickly asserted herself, refusing to be cowed by the burlier, more experienced Daughter of Ares. Throughout the years that fire only burned stronger and brighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In another life, Clarisse could actually see them being half-sisters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In this life, she was still wondering what in Hades Nyssa wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you do it?” The other girl hadn’t moved from where she stood, looming over Clarisse’s breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.” The answer came fast and easy. Seeing as Clarisse had absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea what Nyssa was referring to, she couldn’t in any way be responsible for whatever had happened. “‘S that it, then? I’m trying to enjoy my breakfast here and you’re kind of ruining that.” She finished off the first sausage and went to jab in at the next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your siblings then. Did you send them after him? Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse let out a long sigh, resting her hand back down on the table. She cast a glance at the enraged face of her interrogator and motioned to the bench. “Take a seat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment, the younger girl obliged, sitting stiffly besides Clarisse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now,” The Daughter of Ares turned so that she was angled towards Nyssa. “If you’re trying to accuse me and my cabin of something that we didn’t do?” Clarisse gestured between the both of them with the knife. “We’re gonna have problems, you and I. And, to be frank, I have enough to worry about already without whatever issues you’re trying to work through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>True to form, Nyssa’s eyes only narrowed, completely unintimidated. “Oh we already have a problem, and when I find out who hurt my Cabin Leader, they’re gonna wish they’d never laid a finger on Leo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The name struck a chord with Clarisse, and it only took her a second to recall the runt with a death wish. Her brows drew together as she frowned at Nyssa. “Something happened to the pipsqueak?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had asked the question out of curiosity, of course.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa studied Clarisse’s face for a long minute. Whatever she saw drained the tension from her posture and she slumped slightly. “So it really wasn’t you.” She said, more to herself than anything, and then, “We found him early this morning in the hanger. He’d been beaten up pretty badly, bruises, a couple of broken ribs. He’d even been restrained so he couldn’t fight back. Tell me that doesn’t sound exactly like something one of your siblings would do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Defensive now, Clarisse noted, with that last line. Trying to justify her accusations. There was only one problem. “Well, whoever had beef with him, they weren’t in Cabin Five. Y’all are still off limits for now, so I’d caution you against blaming the rest of my siblings. They can get testy when you accuse them of stuff they didn’t do- more so than me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of taking the generously offered advice and leaving, Nyssa only frowned in confusion. “What do you mean we’re ‘off-limits’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure how any other phrasing would make it more clear.” Clarisse chewed on a bit of her last sausage, seeing the confusion only grow on the other girls face. Hang on… did the runt… “He didn’t tell you, did he?” Nyssa’s blank stare was answer enough and Clarisse let out a bark of laughter. “And I thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> had trust issues. Your runt of a Cabin Leader came knocking on Cabin Five’s door a few days ago, asked us to lay off the pestering until Annabeth and her posse left. I told him there’d be consequences later but the pipsqueak didn’t seem to care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From Nyssa’s expression it was clear that this was all news to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In any case, since you apparently didn’t know, consider this your head start. Because let me tell you a few of my half-siblings will be gunning for your cabin once this ceasefire’s over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More than a few, actually. Clarisse remembered the outrage when she’d made the initial announcement. More than half of the cabin had been angered by the decision, their rage only quelled with the promise of payback tenfold in the future. Her promise hadn’t satisfied everyone, though. One of the loudest protestors had been Mark, the younger demigod having fallen easily into the role of harassing new campers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which reminded her… Clarisse cast her gaze around the other Children of Ares, looking for the curfew offender. She spotted him sitting at the far end of their table, surrounded by some of the newer additions to the cabin. Sherman was there as well, the older demigod seeming almost bored by whatever small talk was currently filling the air between his siblings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unable to hold back a grumble, Clarisse stood up from the bench. “Speaking of problems I have to deal with…” She spared a moment to glance back at Nyssa. “Good luck with your search.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without waiting for a response from the other demigod, Clarisse made her way over to the far end of the table. Over the din of the dining pavillion, it was hard to make out what they were talking about, but as she drew near, a comment from Mark had the others guaffing with amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-and the look on his face?” Mark continued, clearly enjoying the spotlight. “Dude was about to piss his pants he was so scared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, Sherman’s eyebrow rose skeptically. “You almost did too, if memory serves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark’s face reddened as his audience’s chuckles morphed to include him. “Yeah- well next time </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> have to deal with a dragon breathing fire down your neck, then we’ll see who’s laughing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say that like I wasn’t there.” Sherman’s perplexed tone faded as his eyes slipped past Mark to meet the gaze of Clarisse. The moss green gaze hardened, narrowing slightly. “Something we can do for you, Cabin Head? Or have you come to surrender your position in a more private setting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still playing the tough-guy card, inciting her in front of his friends as a show of confidence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse snorted. “Only when hell freezes over, Yang. No, I’m here for this dumbass.” She clasped a hand on Mark’s shoulder, squeezing tighter than necessary as her steely gaze bored into his own. “You and I need to have a little chat, Finnigan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, and you can’t say it here?” Mark countered, a challenge in his eyes. “First you tell us to back off the forge brats like cowards, and now you’re too scared to talk in front of a crowd? Face it, La Rue, you’re no longer fit to lead Cabin Five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a tense silence at the table. And while the others didn’t outright agree with it, neither did they try to deny Mark’s sentiment. There was a hesitation to their gaze, one that suggested Sherman’s challenge shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was. Loyalty mattered in the Ares cabin. And it seemed like that was slipping through her fingers at an alarmingly fast rate. Clarisse grit her teeth in frustration. Here she was, fully prepared to offer up an ounce of concern for her half-brother over whatever injury had been deemed severe enough to warrant a trip to the med bay after curfew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe Mark was right, she was being too nice as of late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile curled her lips as she let go of his shoulder; but there was nothing warm about the expression. “You’re absolutely right, Finnigan. Why should I deny you the chance to embarrass yourself more in front of your peers. You don’t mind people laughing at you, right? Just checking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark’s face changed from sneering confidence to horror in half a second, and Clarisse’s cold grin only grew as he realized he’d made a fatal mistake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I know following orders is something you struggle with, but for the most part, you rarely manage to royally screw things up. So imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find this on my bed.” And she pulled out the folded note from Chiron, letting the paper fall on the table. “I realize your head’s emptier than a sheath without its sword, but it takes a special brand of stupid to get caught after curfew by going to the infirmary where everyone- or, aparenty </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> everyone- knows they report that kind of infraction to Chiron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark’s face was beet red with embarrassment or rage, possibly both, but Clarisse wasn’t done talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next time you go and get yourself injured after hours, kindly lick your wounds in private.” The older girl paused in thought. “Or if it’s bad enough, find a place to die quietly that </span>
  <em>
    <span>won’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> get the rest of the cabin put on KP for the remainder of the month. Got it? Good, I’m so glad we had this chat. Sherman-” the demigod in question glanced up at being addressed. Clarisse turned around, speaking over her shoulder as she left. “I’ll see your ass over at the arena at eleven. Don’t be late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made her way towards the arena, intending to get in a bout of practice before the match. But Clarisse found her mind lingering on the conversation she’d interrupted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why would Mark be at the camp borders past lights out?</span>
  </em>
  <span> There was no other way to explain his comment about the dragon: Peleus was delegated to guarding Thalia’s Tree, and he was the only dragon in the camp aside from-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her feet scuffed in the dirt as Clarisse came to a halt in front of the armory’s opened doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood there for the better part of two minutes, in front of the racks of practice weapons and shields, silently staring. Other campers passed around her to grab blunted swords and axes for the upcoming practice session, none making a comment on how she’d stopped in the middle of foot traffic. They knew better than to interrupt the Daughter of Ares when she had such a look of intense concentration to her thoughts. Clarisse might not have been as intelligent as Annabeth, but the Daughter of Ares was hardly as stupid as Percy: she knew what two plus two equaled. Huffing softly to herself, Clarisse ended her statue imitation, walking over the the rack of spears and snatching a thick shafted one from the back shelves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to make lunchtime’s challenge far more interesting than her brothers anticipated.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It was getting harder and harder to pretend that Leo was okay. Nyssa and Jake had come to the decision not to tell their half-siblings about his condition (yet), instead informing them all that Leo had given everyone the day off to rest. The occupants of Cabin Nine had been overjoyed at the announcement; a good many of them celebrating by immediately flopping back into their bunks and pulling the covers over their heads. Others had gone off to work on their sadly neglected side projects to the resumed chorus of snoring, looking forwards to spending the day tinkering with something </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> than the ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then a few of them had visited the Bunker to grab supplies. When they got back, Harley had mentioned that Leo wasn’t in the hanger, curiously asking after the Cabin Leaders whereabouts. Nyssa had tried to stutter out an answer only for Jake to come to her rescue, saying Leo was spending the day with Jason and Piper. The answer seemed to satisfy their younger brother, and no more questions had been raised; but as the day wore on, some of their siblings became more attuned to the lack of sarcastic commentary and poor jokes Leo would provide on the rare days when they weren’t working.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of that coupled with the fact that it wasn’t even time for lunch yet had Nyssa doubtful she and Jake would be able to find the culprit before Leo woke up and told them himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Which…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nyssa flicked her gaze over towards the medical tent as she walked back from the ring of cabins, </span>
  <em>
    <span>might not be for a while still</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had visited after breakfast, of course, only to find her younger brother still unresponsive, a cool compress placed on his forehead to stave off his feverish brow. Victoria had come over, the Daughter of Apollo having replaced Will sometime that morning, and told Nyssa that Leo might be out of it for a few more hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, it had been a few hours since then, and so Nyssa and Jake were making their way through the camp back towards the infirmary. As they walked across the empty fields, Nyssa couldn’t help but feel like something was off. They were passing by the empty volleyball courts when she identified the reason for the unease. She began casting her gaze around the camp as they walked, noting a distinct lack of presence in the usual hang out areas. Nyssa was about to comment as much to Jake when she saw where everyone had gone and disappeared to. There was a sizeable crowd forming around the arena, children from every cabin hovering around the fringes of what Nyssa could only assume was a full set of stands; among them were some of her own half-siblings, Nyssa noticed, spotting Harley’s curly hair trying to force his way though the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder what’s going on over there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake hummed as he let his gaze wander to where she was looking. “Oh, you didn’t hear? Apparently Clarisse was challenged for her position as Head of Cabin Five. You want to go watch?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really. I’d rather go check on Leo than watch two people hit each other with sticks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake raised his eyes to the sky. “C’mon, I doubt a five minute fight is gonna delay us seeing Leo wake up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Five minutes, huh?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nyssa slowed her pace. “Think the challenger is that good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Jake laughed, the sounds bubbling up from his belly, “No way- La Rue’s gonna wipe the floor with him in two minutes flat. I’m giving this Sherman guy the benefit of the doubt when I say five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So then, remind me why that’s worth my time?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno, Barrera.” A dry voice came from behind her, “You spent just as long </span>
  <em>
    <span>falsely accusing </span>
  </em>
  <span>me this morning over breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa had to try </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>hard to not let her shoulders hunch up to ears defensively as she turned, hearing Jake say nervously, “H-Hey La Rue. Um, good luck out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse ignored him, draping her spear, Maimer, over her shoulder as her eyes bored into Nyssa’s. To her surprise, there was no malice in the gaze, but rather… amusement? Or, satisfaction? Whatever emotion played out across her features it was one Nyssa was not expecting to see. A smile- a genuine one, as far as Nyssa could tell- turned Clarisse’s lip upwards, even as her eyes remained hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust me, Barerra, this is one fight you won’t wanna miss.” And with those parting words, the Daughter of Ares pushed between them, making sure to forcefully check Jake in the shoulder as she did, marching towards the quickly filling arena.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa spared a moment to watch her go, then shot a glance at Jake. “Did she seem… chipper, to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her half-brother shrugged, massaging his shoulder. “She’s about to go into a fight- that usually tends to cheer up Ares’ kids.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While she agreed, that hadn’t seemed to be the case this time. Deciding to trust her gut instinct, Nyssa allowed her feet to carry her towards the arena, hearing Jake fall in step behind her a moment later. The spectators had taken up alternating cheers of “Cla-risse, Cla-risse, Cla-risse,” and “Sher-man, Sher-man, Sher-man,” portraying roughly a fifty-fifty split on the supporters. Nyssa forced her way to the front, ignoring the other camper’s indignant gripes and groans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made it to the front just in time to see Clarisse raise a hand, quelling the rising chants. Her voice boomed in the silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, listen up!” Clarisse planted the butt of her spear in the dirt. “We all know why we’re here so I won’t bore you with the details. Whoever draws first blood will be the official Leader of Cabin Five-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her speech was cut off as the members of Ares Cabin roared, their chants for the favored victor ringing across the field. Clarisse let them carry on for a bit before holding up her hand again. When they didn’t settle down immediately, her jaw ticked in annoyance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ENOUGH!” Despite the volume of the crowd, Clarisse proved she was louder, the stands once more falling into silence because of her. Taking a composing breath, Clarisse continued. “Now, since we seem to have a fair amount of onlookers with nothing better to do with their lives, I want you all to watch the fight closely. Maybe some of you will actually learn a thing or two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few ripples of laughter emanated from the Ares section of the stands as their current Cabin Leader took up her position across from the challenger. Throughout the introductory speech, Sherman had stood silently, the tip of his broadsword angled down at the dirt. The weapon itself was massive, a blood red hilted, two-handed blade that was almost as wide as his thigh. Next to it, Clarisse’s spear looked like a toothpick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Clarisse finished talking he readied his stance, hoisting the goliath sword as if it weighed nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They took up positions in the center of the ring, a patch of dirt with marks chalked in to represent the edges. Will Solace and two other camp medics were off on one side, undoubtedly prepared for however severe this ‘first blood’ turned out to be. In truth, there hadn’t been a real need for them since Clarisse took over as Cabin Head, she was experienced enough to know how to defeat a challenger without doing extensive or lasting damage. From what Nyssa had heard from Jake, Ares’ change of command ceremonies could get deadly: there was even one year when the challenger nearly severed his Cabin Head’s left arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tense quiet that filled the arena was palpable, the absence of sound only broken a moment later by the ring of a bell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like the firing of a piston, Clarisse exploded from her stance, lunging forward in a clear thrust at Sherman’s defenses. The crowd yelled with surprise at the Daughter of Ares’ incredible speed, and even Nyssa felt her mouth drop in awe. Cheers followed shortly after when Sherman deflected the blow, dodging out of the way as a second and third jab followed closely behind the first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa wasn’t really rooting for either of them to win, this was a Cabin Five matter, after all. But as she watched she couldn’t help but be impressed at the finesse of each strike and counterstrike. Watching the two Children of Ares maneuver through an intricate battle dance was a clear reminder of why Ares campers were undisputed masters on the battlefield (despite what the Athena kids had to say).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the match progressed, Sherman tried to retaliate, but despite his clear skill with the sword, Clarisse’s reach with Maimer was too great a distance for him to cover. Every swing came up short, the older demigod easily dancing out of the arc of the blade, rebuffing a few of the blows with an expression of contempt on her face. Contrastingly, Sherman’s cheeks were growing steadily redder with pent up rage, the challenger’s frustration of always being out of reach clearly fueling his attacks which came faster and harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment in which Sherman seemed to have finally breached Clarisse’s guard, the broadsword arcing diagonally down toward her shoulder. His supporters in the crowd went wild as they saw what was probably the end of the match. But at the last moment, Clarisse angled the butt of her spear so that the blow skimmed off the polished metal end of Maimer and into the ground. At the same time, the crackle of electricity originating from the spear filled the air and a short shock of sparks zinged up Sherman’s blade. He yelped, jumping back and just barely raising his guard to defend against Clarisse’s follow up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she retracted her weapon again, Sherman’s face twisted into a snarl. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>bitch</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse only smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She’s toying with him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Nyssa realized, with only a hint of unease. That move could’ve ended the fight if she’d used the sharpened spear tip to counter when Sherman stumbled, but instead she had just prodded her half-brother with her weapon’s power in a way that drew no blood, but was sure to provoke her opponent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Enraged now, Sherman’s attacked with a renewed fervor, swings steadily growing wild and erratic. Narrowing her eyes, Clarisse managed to avoid them all, moving with a grace and agility possessed by only the best fighters in the camp. On one particularly bad overstep, she flashed the butt of her spear up and around, solidly smacking Sherman in the cheek. The boy’s head snapped to the side, but when he whipped it back around, Nyssa saw that the blow hadn’t broken the skin: no blood. Clarisse rolled beneath another swing, coming up behind her opponent near the edge of the arena and using the blunted end to poke Sherman none too gently in the back, the younger demigod stumbling a step forward before catching his balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was clear that Clarisse had already won the fight, the spectators no longer cheering for Sherman despite their initial support. Now the Children of Ares jeered with every missed strike, laughing as Clarisse stood back patiently while Sherman swung to face her. Her face turned towards the stands, back partially angled away from Sherman, mouth moving as she made some comment to her challenger that was swallowed up by the noise around Nyssa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever she’d said was the final straw for Sherman, the boy letting out a roar as he lunged forwards. The ground beneath his feet splintered from the sheer force of his head-on rush, the Son of Ares covering the ten feet between him and Clarisse in a single, swift bound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa gasped with the rest of the crowd, seeing that there was no way to defend from the attack. Clarisse had relaxed her posture, half turned away when she’d made the comment. And as formidable as she was with the spear, the sheer force behind Sherman’s blow would snap the shaft in an instant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Clarisse hadn’t stopped smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If asked later what she had seen, Nyssa would be unable to describe it. At first it looked like Clarrisse was going to try and defend in the same manner she’d used throughout the fight. But then, in the time it took for Nyssa to blink, Clarisse had managed to expertly hooked her spear in the crook of Sherman’s arm. The Daughter of Ares had apparently moved </span>
  <em>
    <span>towards</span>
  </em>
  <span> her opponent’s headlong rush. Nyssa blinked again in surprise and was instantly grateful her eyes had been closed as a sickening </span>
  <em>
    <span>CRACK</span>
  </em>
  <span> filled the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherman’s cry of pain was the only thing filling the sudden silence that had fallen over the arena. But Clarisse still wasn’t done, twirling the spear above her head to then swing it around the smack into the back of one of his knees, bringing Sherman to a kneel at her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The challenger panted heavily, broadsword having fallen from his grasp as one hand reached across his body to clutch at the other arm which was hanging limply and at a nauseating angle that was in no way natural. Will and the healers moved forward with an urgency only to pull up short when Clarisse raised a hand in their direction. Her eyes were hard as she stared at them, and it was then that Nyssa realized the fight wasn’t officially over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarsse’s maneuver still hadn’t managed to draw any blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Clarisse raised the tip of her spear to hover a few inches away from the base of her half-brother’s neck, and a second gasp hushed through the crowd, uncertain murmurs running and then freezing equally fast. The deadly weapon that had slayed the drakon in the war against Kronos, so close to a jugular, made everyone catch their breath. Someone somewhere whimpered a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa wasn’t close to the Daughter of Ares in any sense of the word, but she knew Clarisse enough to say that the girl wouldn’t just kill someone in cold blood. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> not one of her half-siblings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I yield.” The two words dragged their way from Sherman’s throat, the instinctive tears from pain leaking from his eyes. The Son of Ares kept his voice steady despite his agony, though it was thickening his tone as he said bitterly. “You win.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse scoffed at that. “It’s not over until one of us draws first blood, Yang.” And with alarming speed she proceeded to stab Maimer’s spear tip down-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-and into Sherman’s exposed foot. The spearhead pierced through his shoe and the Son of Ares cried out for a second time, upper torso folding over his knee as Clarisse stepped away, leaving her spear quivering like a flag of conquest. Will and the others moved forwards again, but Clarisse shot them another dark look that warned them away from interfering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t go anywhere yet.” Clarisse announced to the onlookers, causing several to freeze in their tracks. The burly girl leisurely started strolling over to the side of the arena where two wooden practice swords were propped against a water fountain. “There’s one more piece of business we need to settle here and now.”  She made her way back to the center of the arena before barking out, “Finnigan! Get your ass over here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the command, another Son of Ares made his way hesitantly down to the field, casting a nervous gaze to his half-brother who was still on his knees, due to fear or due to the spear sticking out of his boot, Nyssa couldn’t tell. She frowned in confusion along with the other onlookers, wondering what the girl was doing now. Clarisse motioned for him to stand next to her, and then called out two more names.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Barerra, Mason, you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa felt Jake start beside her and found herself blinking in surprise. Clarisse shifted her gaze slightly, meeting their eyes and jerking her head in a ‘come on’ motion. She had the same look as earlier, that satisfied confidence radiating from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a breath, Nyssa stepped forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake’s hand was on her arm in the next second. “Nys, are you crazy?” He hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse’s words returned to the forefront of Nyssa’s mind: </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Trust me, Barerra, this is one fight you won’t wanna miss.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The Daughter of Ares had clearly wanted them here for a reason. Looks like they were about to find out why.</span>
</p><p><span>“You want to tell her no?” Nyssa countered, “After seeing </span><em><span>that?</span></em><span>” And she tore her arm from his grip, making her way to the field without waiting to see if Jake was coming. He did after a half second, footsteps hurried to catch up and look like he hadn’t thought about defying the Head of Cabin Five. They came to a stop, standing next to Clarisse opposite of Finnigan, the other boy shooting them a curious</span> <span>look.</span></p><p>
  <span>Clarisse nodded at them, then turned back to her audience. “A couple of days ago- I made a promise to a certain pipsqueak from Cabin Nine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got Nyssa’s attention, and the attention of her half-siblings in the crowd who likely had no idea Leo had dared cross the terrifying fighter that had just decimated a powerful foe. On the other side of her, Finnigan’s face paled slightly and she saw his throat bob with a nervous swallow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> I promised or </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> I did it, the fact of the matter is that I gave him my word, and that of my cabin, that we would uphold our end of the deal. As Head Counselor of Ares Cabin, I take these things </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> seriously. Whereas these two,” Clarisse jerked a thumb over in the direction of Finnigan and Sherman, “have proven to me that they do not: seeing as they decided to go and break that promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait… what?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nyssa’s eyes widened and she turned to stare at Clarisse. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did she mean that… that</span>
  </em>
  <span> these </span>
  <em>
    <span>were the people who had hurt Leo?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Something dark coiled in Nyssa’s gut as she shifted her gaze at Clarisse’s half-brothers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not only did they disobey my direct order, but they failed to cover up their insubordination with any ounce of intelligence. Finnigan was treated for burns inflicted by a certain metal dragon, and Yang thought I wouldn’t notice when he raided our cabin’s stash of ambrosia.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse pulled a face. “And here I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, thinking he’d been practicing more. Something he </span>
  <em>
    <span>clearly</span>
  </em>
  <span> needs.” She spared a moment to glance over at her defeated sibling before continuing. “Therefore, I’ve decided to settle this matter here and now, in the good old-fashioned Ares way. Since their cabin leader is currently unavailable to attend the match, these two will be taking his place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She proceeded to hand both Nyssa and Jake a stiff wooden practice sword. Nyssa looked down at the weapon with no small amount of confusion, seeing Jake do the same in her periphery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know better than anyone that you can’t take back the blow of a good punch- or spear-” A whimper from where Sherman still crouched punctuated Clarisse’s words. “So the best I can do is give my blessing from the whole of Cabin Nine to return the favor Finnigan gave your Cabin Leader. The match will end when the wronged party is fully satisfied.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse started making her way to the edge of the arena where Sherman was, yanking her spear out of where it was still firmly planted in his foot, then nodding to Will and his team. Given the official go ahead, they jumped into action, rushing forwards to usher the wounded demigod from the field. Clarisse raised her eyes to the three still in the ring, one brow quirking in expectation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well? You may begin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finnigan seemed to fully understand what was going on only just then, turning with eyes wide with disbelief. “W-wait- two on one? That’s not a fair fight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, it isn’t.” Clarisse’s tone brokered no argument, but Finnigan still tried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even get a weapon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next words out of Clarisse’s mouth were so cold Nyssa wouldn’t be surprised if hell itself froze over. “Did you give Leo one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finnigan swallowed hard, turning back to face twin unsympathetic looks from the Children of Hephaestus. There was a naked fear in his eyes, the same fear Nyssa imagined Leo had felt when he had been tied down and beaten by these lowlifes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Nyssa thought mercilessly as she and Jake advanced on the bastard that dared to lay a hand on her little brother, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fear was a good place to start.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Clarisse... you're alright in my book. Haha. Honestly she was super fun to write because I feel like she's not just the bully she was in PJO. Like sure, she hates weak people, but if you gain her respect, you are untouchable (for the most part).</p><p>Anyway- the next chapter will be up momentarily as promised.<br/>See you there!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Leo wakes up, Jake throws a party, and Nyssa is... missing? But... but there's cake!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>The last chapter in this mini 4-part arc is here! Only one more chapter before we move onto the cannon-scenes from the Mark of Athena (MOA) book that I'll be expanding on and writing about.</p><p>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 16: Salutations and a Sendoff</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo was a light sleeper. Even after a full night of work, the smallest noise in Bunker Nine could rouse him: the oven timer, the chime of a software upload, even the sound of a pencil clattering to the floor from where it had slipped through his fingers. His head would usually snap up, bleary eyes scanning his surroundings before fully comprehending where he was. Then he would just stretch, yawn, and get back to doing whatever he had been doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So the sensation of waking up slowly and in stages was completely unfamiliar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It started with an awkward self-awareness that he was asleep. Leo </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> he wasn’t awake, and yet he was conscious enough to fully comprehend the realization. His mind lingered there, in limbo for a long minute- or many minutes, he couldn’t tell- before deciding to try and push through the remaining fog of sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo felt like he was wading through a bog. That is… if a bog could equate to the endless black void of his mind, and if it could count as ‘wading’ if he had no physical body to move with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah… waking up slowly was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>strange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After an indefinite amount of time later, Leo felt like he was breaching the surface of his consciousness. The first thing that registered was that he was lying on something soft. Which was odd, seeing as Leo couldn’t remember the last time he’d thought of a worktable as soft.</span>
</p><p><span>The next thing he noticed was that the pain in his head had receded to a dull throb rather than a sharp spike. Third thing was that his head had been bothering him in the first place.</span> <span>His eyelids felt heavy, and it took more effort than Leo would’ve liked to admit to get them open. Once he did, however, he immediately closed them again to block out the mid-afternoon light filtering through the folds of the tent.</span></p><p>
  <span>Wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tent?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Dragging his eyes back open, Leo turned his head to stare at the rows of beds neatly lined along the sides of the fabric walls. The smell of antiseptic penetrated his senses and Leo’s nose scrunched slightly as he realized he was in the camps infirmary. Which only begged the question: </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> was he in the camps infirmary?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last thing he remembered was uploading the new system to Festus’ circuitry, then taking a shower as Nyssa had suggested before…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well… that would explain the headache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your friends will be glad to see you awake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s head did a complete one-eighty, causing the room- or rather, tent, to spin dizzyingly at the rapid motion. There was someone standing at his bedside, and when his vision finally decided to focus, he saw it was a cute blond with cropped hair and striking blue eyes. She was wearing a white shirt and jeans, a clipboard cradled in one arm as she scratched something on it with a pen. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not </span>
  </em>
  <span>on</span>
  <em>
    <span> the clipboard</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Leo’s mind corrected after a moment, </span>
  <em>
    <span>on the paper clipped to it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the meantime, while his brain supplied him with that very intelligent fact, he stared owlishly up at her. It took another beat to comprehend her words, but his tongue- for the first time he could remember- was still slightly behind the curve. “Uhh… yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blondie’s lips turned down in a pursed frown. She leaned forwards suddenly, staring intently at his face. Leo just blinked, not even fully registering the invasion of his personal space, gaze lingering on the adorable splash of freckles across her nose. He hadn’t noticed those before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm,” Blue eyes narrowed and she nodded as if understanding something. “Will did say there was the possibility of a concussion. We’ll just have to monitor it for the time being.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was talking mostly to herself now, straightening and making another jot on the paper. Muttering under her breath, she moved around his bedside, Leo’s head tracking the motion if not for any other reason than to have something to distract him from the jumbled mess that was his mind at the moment. Blondie glanced at her wristwatch, the same frown tugging at her lips again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He should be back soon, I can’t imagine a fight with Clarisse could last this long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The name sparked a memory with the Son of Hephaestus, and his wandering thoughts snapped back with a sudden clarity. After all, the only reason he was in this mess to begin with was because he had asked Clarisse and her siblings to back off. And the Daughter of Ares had agreed, or so he’d thought. But maybe… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe she’d lied?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A commotion at the far end of the infirmary drew the attention of patient and nurse alike, Leo having to crane his head around blondie to get a good view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He almost wished he hadn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Sherman and Mark, the last people Leo expected to see walking through the entrance. Well, they weren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> walking. Sherman had an arm around the shoulder of another medic, the Son of Ares limping heavily; pained grimaces twisting his features with each step. Some gauze had been hastily wrapped around his foot, but the normally white bandage had already stained through with dark crimson. Mark didn’t even have the luxury of being conscious, the guy being carried into the tent on a stretcher. He had mottled blue and purple bruises peppering his arms and legs, along with some none-too-shallow cuts. His nose had been broken too, dried blood leaving red streaks down the lower side of his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blondie was just as shocked. “Will, what in Hades-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Victoria-” The medic carrying the front of the stretcher snapped, and the blonde stiffened. “Come give us a hand!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-Right.” Blondie- Victoria, apparently, placed down her clipboard on the side table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Leo asked, but Victoria had already hurried over to help, leaving Leo’s question unanswered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For all of about two seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Karma.” A new, but familiarly gruff voice said. “At least, the Ares version of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s head turned back towards the entrance, frowning when he saw Clarisse marching further into the medic tent, donned in simple workout clothes. What was she doing here? Although, Leo supposed it wasn’t all that surprising to see a Cabin Leader worried about their cabinmates. Except for the fact that </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> particular one was the head of the Ares Cabin: they weren’t exactly the caring type.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> surprising were the two people in the wake of Clarisse’s path. Jake and Nyssa seemed to notice Leo at the same time his brain processed the fact that they seemed to have come here </span>
  <em>
    <span>with</span>
  </em>
  <span> Clarisse. Nyssa pulled up short, her eyes blown wide as she stared for a full second before a relieved smile broke out on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re awake!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo himself was beginning to doubt that: surely this was some bizzare fever dream where his siblings were friends with the Ares Cabin Leader, and said Cabin Leader genuinely cared for her half-siblings wellbeing. Yeah, no. Something was definitely off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo pressed down on the matress, levering himself into a more vertical position, “What’s going on? What’re you guys-” His words choked off with a hiss as a spike of pain lanced through his side. An arm snaked across his midriff as he sank back into the pillows. It felt like his bones were </span>
  <em>
    <span>grating</span>
  </em>
  <span> against- Leo slammed that train of thought to a stop, swallowing back bile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right… He’d forgotten about the ribs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>forgot</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ did you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaand he’d said that last bit out loud, hadn’t he? Leo pried his eyes open- not remembering when he’d closed them- to see Nyssa now hovering over him, a mixture of anger and concern swirling in her eyes. Jake stood behind her, a similar look of worry gracing his features. Leo tried to smile at them, show them that he was okay, but he was pretty sure it came out as more of a grimace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse whistled from where she was at the foot of his bed, the girl leaning over the metal footer as her eyes trailed slowly up and down Leo’s bedridden form. “They really did a number on you, pipsqueak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa shot her a black look, brows crashing down over her eyes like thunder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo just sighed tiredly, not really in the mood for the Daughter of Ares light taunts. “I told you, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Leo</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Or Valdez. Or even The Valdezinator, if you’d prefer. But you still haven’t answered my question,” he tilted his head in Mark and Sherman’s direction. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little quid-pro-quo,” Clarisse straightened, sparing a brief glance at her cabinmates and crossing her arms. “They ganged up on you, so I gave your siblings here a chance to do the same. By the way,” She added, looking at Nyssa. “If you ever wanted to ditch the wrench for a warhammer, I’d make you an honorary member of Cabin Five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa scoffed, “Not in a million years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Head of Cabin Five simply shrugged, as if she’d expected the rebuttal and wasn’t all that disappointed in the show of loyalty. Leo, meanwhile, ping ponged his gaze from the beat up bullies, to Nyssa, and back; the realization that his half-sister had lent a hand in exacting the punishment slowly setting in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nys…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He trailed off, taking in the myriad of bruises that pockmarked Mark’s exposed skin. Leo wasn’t sure whether to feel satisfied or scared. “Hey Jake? Next time I think of crossing Nyssa, remind me of this moment.” That drew a smile from the older demigod and Jake flashed him a thumbs up. Leo then turned his attention to Clarisse. “So then, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> send them after me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A brief look of confusion furrowed Clarisse’s brow, then her eyes narrowed dangerously. “You asking me if I would go back on my word?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Leo didn’t think she would do anything while Nyssa and Jake were here (and certainly not while they were in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>infirmary</span>
  </em>
  <span> of all places) he did still realize the danger of continuing down that road. “N-no, of course not, I just- that- what I </span>
  <em>
    <span>meant</span>
  </em>
  <span> to say was-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, Leo didn’t have to figure out exactly what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> meant with the accusation. Victoria proved that he hadn’t imagined seeing her as an angel for no reason, as she returned and said, “You do have a mild concussion, nothing serious, thankfully. Just expect to say a few more weird things, and don’t take any naps without checking with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’ve only got minor dain bamage?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Panic lit Nyssa’s face for a moment, then she took another look at him and frowned at the sight of his cheeky grin. Her hand twitched as she turned to Victoria. “How long before I can smack him for making jokes like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably a good day or two.” Another new voice spoke up, and Leo was about ready to replace his neck with a turntable as his head swiveled once more. The guy who answered was the one carrying the stretcher from earlier. He looked like Victoria’s twin, with the same combination of blond hair and blue eyes, and Leo recalled Victoria calling him Will when they’d first come in. “What I’m more concerned about is the ambrosia.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about it?” Leo frowned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When was the last time you had some?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ghost of a taste of enchiladas was spicy on his tongue as he wondered what the food of the gods had to do with this. “Last time I looked at a clock it was sometime after one thirty, I think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In the </span>
  <em>
    <span>morning</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Why were you-” Nyssa cut herself off with a palm to her face and a sigh. “Nevermind, forget I asked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will nodded at the information. “Then, just to be safe, we’ll have to keep you in the infirmary until tomorrow afternoon before giving you any more.” He then leaned forward, placing the back of his hand on Leo’s forehead. “It looks like your fever’s gone down, so that’s a good sign. But you’re still a little hot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo flashed his signature grin, shooting finger guns at the medic. “I’m always hot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the comment, Nyssa looked back at Victoria. “A day or two? You sure I can’t hit him any sooner than that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolling her neck, Clarisse jerked a thumb over at her half-siblings. “Same goes for them, then, Solace. No miraculous miracle cures for them until tomorrow evening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s gaze shifted to the injured people in question. “Are you sure?” Leo noticed that the protest wasn’t terribly heartfelt, more resigned to the wishes of the Ares Cabin Leader.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quid-pro-quo.” She said in lieu of an answer, attention shifting back to the Children of Hephaestus. “We’re even now, but like I told you, once Annabeth and her posse leave it’s fair game.” Nyssa nodded an acknowledgement and Clarisse turned abruptly on her heel, marching back towards the infirmary entrance, a hand raised in farewell. “See ya ‘round, pipsqueak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse us as well,” Will said. “But it looks like we have work to do. Call us over if you need anything, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo watched them walk over to their new patients before refocusing his attention on his cabinmates. They both still had an air of concern about them, although Nyssa’s gaze held something else in their brown depths. It looked like… Disappointment? Frustration? Leo couldn’t discern it, but it felt wrong on his half-sister’s face. Nyssa noticed his observation of her and the expression vanished as she schooled her features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo smiled like it hadn’t been there to begin with. “So, honest opinion here, is my future as a facial cream commercial star completely ruined?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa’s jaw ticked while Jake’s cracked up into a grin, some of the concern fading from his eyes. “You could definitely act as the ‘before’ pictures.” He said, “But other than that…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess it was never meant to be.” he sighed dramatically, placing a hand- </span>
  <em>
    <span>carefully- </span>
  </em>
  <span>over his injured chest. Man, it really felt like he’d been rammed in by a ballista- “Oh yeah. Did you guys manage to finish the crossbow bolts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake blinked at the sudden change in topic, as Nyssa frowned in what he assumed was similar confusion. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been out at least a day, si? Last thing I was doing was trying to get the bolts to stop jamming- the grooves in the shaft had been cut a bit too deep and were catching on the shaft.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Leo.” Nyssa said, that same unusual emotion rising on her face before she tamped it back down. “We gave everyone the day off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They… what? Leo felt a rise of panic as his mind conjured up an image of a certain Daughter of Athena who would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> displeased if she found out about any more delays. He’d promised her the ship would be fully functional and ready to go by the end of the week.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake cleared his throat. “Actually, uh, I have it on good authority that some of us- uuuuum, </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> people may have been champing at the bit to make sure we- they- got that done for you. Found your notes and finished it up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Already?” Leo asked in surprise, even as he relaxed knowing that was done. All that was left at this point then was test firing it and manufacturing enough of the projectiles to last them through the quest. And then loading up extra materials so that when something </span>
  <em>
    <span>inevitably</span>
  </em>
  <span> broke (and no, Leo wasn’t an oracle, he just knew it was going to happen at some point) he would be able to fix it en route to this other camp. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harley thinks he can get the bolts made by tomorrow morning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah- no. No, he is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>pulling an all nighter while working a flame.” As skilled as the younger demigod was in the forge, he wasn’t fireproof like Leo; and the hispanic had found Harley multiple times nursing light burns from where he’d nodded off a little too close to the flames. “Tell him to stop playing with fire in his sleep.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake laughed at the joke, and Leo instinctively joined in- only to stop as his ribs reminded him that laughing was not something he should be doing at the moment. The wince stole across his face, and despite trying to conceal it, Nyssa’s attentive gaze missed nothing. She placed a hand on Jake’s shoulders, cutting into their conversation with a muttered word that sounded suspiciously like ‘hypocrite’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll let you get some rest,” She then said at normal volume, her words carefully measured. “And if I hear you’re making trouble for Will and his siblings, you’ll be in here a bit longer than they originally predicted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And even though the threat was light and teasing, Leo was still starkly reminded of her ability to follow through on it with a quick glance at the still unconscious Mark. He decided that maybe- just this once- he would make sure not to cross his half-sister.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The party was a surprise. Which, Leo supposed was the intention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been released from the infirmary late afternoon of the next day, Will and Victoria insisting he take it easy for the next few hours. Leo was pretty sure their idea of ‘taking it easy’ differed from his own but he decided not to point that out, glad to finally be saying goodbye to the smell of medicine and hello to the fresh air outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d gone with Jake to the Bunker to check over the work his siblings had done in his absence, feeling a swell of pride for his cabinmates when he confirmed that the Argo II was well and truly complete. The workshop had been strangely devoid of life, and when he’d asked, Jake had waved off his concern, saying that everyone was back at the cabin, taking a break from work. It felt awkward to be in the Bunker without intending to do any work, and Leo’s hands itched to grab a tool, or a fastener, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> to feel like he was being productive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was, however, still one thing in the Bunker that was glad to see him. Festus had heralded his return with a roar and a cheerful whirring of gears that echoed through the rafters. Leo happily obliged in the dragon’s joy, stroking the celestial bronze snout, taking a polishing cloth to the metal horns, and speaking to him in low tones until Festus was well and truly convinced he was okay. By the time they left the bunker, the sun had already set, the last vestiges of amber fading from the sky to give way to the deep hues of the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But to Leo’s surprise, Jake had turned not towards the dining pavillion, but the ring of cabins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since when do you skip meals?” Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake had smirked back. “We’re not skipping dinner. West not eating with the rest of the camp tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they reached Cabin Nine, Jake gestured for Leo to go in first, the hispanic shooting the older demigod a strange look but obliging, shouldering open the heavy door and making his way into-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WELCOME BACK!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo nearly jumped out of his skin at the disjointed shout, seeing his cabinmates spring out from their hiding places as a confetti cannon blasted colorful paper into the air. Several handheld poppers went off as well, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>bang’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> echoing around the room as streamers joined the mess of confetti.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A variety of colorful pastel balloons were tied to sections of the room, the printed ‘Happy Birthday’ lettering scribbled over with a sharpie to make way for the penned in phrases ‘Welcome Back!’ and ‘Good Luck Out There!’ instead. The worktables had been cleared from the center of the cabin, lined up along the wall with stacks of party foods, snacks, and soda’s. In the back, Leo could see they’d set up Nelson’s stereo system; the tall black speakers flanking a mini DJ soundboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was speechless. “You guys…. I… this is….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What this is, is your party.” Jake said, stepping over the threshold and slinging an arm around Leo’s shoulder. “Since the Argo’s finished, you and the others will be heading off within the week. And we can’t very well let our Cabin Leader leave without a proper sendoff. Oh- and it wouldn’t be a proper sendoff without this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a nod from Jake, Harley stepped forwards, a flat pane of metal in his hands. The younger demigod smiled as he handed it to Leo before stepping back. His siblings watched with a pregnant air between them as Leo inspected the polished sheet of celestial bronze. He flipped it over and his breath hitched at what he saw. Laser etched on the top of the metal were the words ‘Crew of the Argo II’ and beneath it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The space beneath it was filled with the scribed signatures of his cabinmates. Some had included well wishes for the quest beneath their name, others leaving just generally encouraging notes. Harley had even done his best to draw an image of Festus above his name, even managing to dye the metal red where the animatronics eyes were. One spot in the center of the sheet had been left clear, the large oval of unscratched bronze standing out among the names.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was beautiful. Leo’s throat bobbed as he tried to swallow past the sudden tightness in his chest, blinking to try and clear the mist from his eyes. What words could he say to convey how touched he was by the memento?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, we were able to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span> everyone’s signature. But we were missing one key crewmember.” Jake spoke in Leo’s silence. “Only, I seem to have misplaced my scribe… anyone here have a scribe Leo can use?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The question, asked to the rest of the cabin inhabitants, went unanswered and Jake hummed with a shrug. “Guess not- come to think of it! I think I saw one by your bunk, Leo. Why don’t we go have a look?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah,” Leo cleared his throat to try and take out the slight wobble in it. “Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Offering a gentle smirk, Jake steered him through the crowd, their siblings making a path for their Cabin Leader. When they reached Leo bunk, he couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from his core, the sound light and happy as he saw what they’d done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His toolbelt had been fixed. The place where Sherman had torn it was masterfully sewn back together with neat crosshatch stitches in a way that made it look like it had been there since the beginning. Leo unhooked it from where it hung on the wall, slipping it around his waist and clicking the belt together with a crisp </span>
  <em>
    <span>snap</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The familiar weight relieved a tension Leo hadn’t noticed, the mechanic finally feeling complete now that his tools were once again at his fingertips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys are the best.” Leo finally said, meaning it with every fiber of his being. He reached into one of the pouches, pulling out a metal scribe and hovering the tip over the blank space in the celestial bronze plaque. It paused there for a long moment, then Leo looked up, taking in the rapt attention of his half-brothers and sisters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean it.” He said, meeting each and every gaze that looked back at him. “I couldn’t have done this- </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> of this, without you guys. I know I’m not one for speeches, and I’m certainly not going to start now, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. If we- </span>
  <em>
    <span>When</span>
  </em>
  <span> we stop Gaea, it will be because </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> all made it possible. The members of Cabin Nine are the real heroes here, and don’t you forget it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well said!” Jake’s voice boomed with delight as he slapped a wide hand against Leo’s back, sending the smaller demigod stumbling forward a step. “But all we really wanted you to do was sign the damn metal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chorus of laughter echoed around the room and Leo found himself joining in. With a flourish of the tool he etched his name into the center, taking up the entire space. “Hancock eat your heart out- Alright! Who’s ready to party!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His cabinmates whooped and cheered as someone cranked up the music, the sound blasting through the stereo speakers hard enough for the floor to vibrate in time with the bass beats. A disco ball lowered from a retracted ceiling panel and the cabin lights dimmed as colorful directed lights filled the air. Some of his siblings headed for the snack tables while others hit the dance floor, bobbing and swaying to the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if to remind him he’d yet to have dinner, Leo’s stomach grumbled, the demigod more so feeling than hearing the complaint from his digestive tract. He stored the metal plaque carefully in the locker beneath his bunk and made his way to the opposite side of the room. As he grabbed some pizza rolls from the snack table, Leo saw that they’d even made him a cake! Or, what was certainly trying to </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span> like a cake. It was handmade, the cake itself a bit lopsided and lumpy, reminding Leo of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. To compensate for the lack of cosmetic appeal, it’s baker had tried to cover the flaws with copious amounts of frosting, which only resulted in the cake appearing less than appetizing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small sign had been taped to the wall above the monstrosity, reading: No eating until Leo gets back- that means you, Nyssa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo chuckled as he read it, the laughter falling away slowly as he realized he hadn’t actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen</span>
  </em>
  <span> his half-sister since getting back to the cabin. Not that they were joined at the hip or anything, but her absence made his heart clench as he was reminded of that peculiar expression she’d been wearing during her visit at the infirmary. Some sixth sense telling him that something wasn’t right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Craning his head over the other partiers, Leo realized Nyssa wasn’t even in the cabin; her vibrant bandana nowhere to be seen among the sea of heads. Maybe she was in the lower workshop? But when he poked his head down to check he saw the forge was empty. Leo made his way back to the main floor, wondering where she could have disappeared to when he saw the cabin door was slightly ajar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe she was outside? She hadn’t been when He and Jake first arrived, but maybe she slipped out after the initial surprise bit. It was as good a place as any to look, so Leo wove his way through his cabinmates and stepped out into the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun had long since set, and stars twinkling in the vast expanse of night speckled the sky like so many freckles. The music from inside was muffled by the brick walls of Cabin Nine, even as the pounding bass vibrated through the wooden porch boards. A cool, post winter breeze whispered through Camp Half-Blood; carrying with it the scent of forest pines and burnt marshmallows from where a few other campers still gathered around the fire pit in the middle of the ring of cabins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seated on the top step of the three stairs leading up to the cabin was Nyssa, the older demigod’s head tilted back some to stare up at the heavens in quiet contemplation. Leo moved to sit beside her, seeing Nyssa’s eyes flick down at him for a split second before returning to their skyward observation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them spoke for a long moment. Both simply enjoying the companionable silence between them, even as Leo noted that Nyssa’s shoulders were still a bit too stiff, her lips pressed a bit too thin for her to be completely relaxed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Leo spoke after another minute had passed, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the residual noise from the party. “They’re about to cut the cake, if you’re not there when they do you might not get a piece. Although, people are still taking bets as to whether or not it’ll even be edible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa didn’t answer for a few seconds, and Leo felt a twinge of unease when his joke didn’t improve her mood. Usually even his most corny ones would be able to draw a wry smile, or a roll of her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa’s tone was serious when she answered. “I just need some space to think. It’s too loud in there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And if that wasn’t a subtle way to say ‘Leave me alone’ Leo would eat his hammer. But something was clearly bothering his older half-sister, and therefore it was Leo’s duty as not only her Cabin Leader, but as her brother and her </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span> to try to help however he could. And to do that he first had to find out what was wrong; which meant staying by Nyssa’s side for the time being.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? You reconsidering Clarisse’s offer?” Leo knew the answer to that was probably a negatory, but he figured he had to start somewhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gods no.” Nyssa snorted, the action much more familiar than her rigid silence. “Like I’d ever want to be associated with the Ares kids.” She fell back into her thoughts, head rotating to stare out over the campgrounds. “It’s not true, you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hmm. Maybe his initial assumption was wrong after all? If Nyssa was trying to assure him she wasn’t planning to defect to Cabin Five (which Leo still doubted was an actual thing they could do) then maybe Clarisse’s offer </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> rattled her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, the whole ‘honorary member’ thing? I figured.” Leo waved a hand. “It’s not like you can change which godly parent you were born to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not talking about that.” And finally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> she turned to look him in the eyes for the first time since he’d left the infirmary. But her eyes were as sharp as the honed edge of a celestial bronze sword, the words on her tongue pointed and accusatory as she said, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Todo es mi culpa</span>
  </em>
  <span>? That’s not ture.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The language shift threw him off. Since when did Nyssa know Spanish? But the phrase itself sounded vaguely familiar. Back at the infirmary, Will had told him that Nyssa and Jake had been the one who’d brought him in. Which only stood to reason that they’d been the ones to find him in the Bunker. And Leo was ninety-eight percent sure his ‘dream’ about a Nyssa-looking-minnie mouse had actually been a memory of that moment. So then… maybe Nyssa hadn’t learned Spanish overnight but was just repeating a phrase she’d heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A phrase he’d said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo broke eye contact with the older demigod, taking his turn to look out across the moonlit camp. “Oh… well, I did kinda provoke them a bit. I knew they were looking for a fight, but I still didn’t keep my mouth shut. And I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one who started it all by asking Clarisse to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you’re an idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The delivery of those four words hit Leo like a semi-truck; stealing the air from his lungs. She didn’t say it as an insult, or a joke. She stated it as surely as she would any other fact; the blunt reality of truth coating her words. Hands clenching at his sides, Leo was unable to suppress a wince.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That… that had hurt ten times worse than anything Sherman or Mark had done. Mostly because it was true. Leo wasn’t a genius, he knew that. He never pretended to be smarter than he was, starkly aware of his limitations despite his bragging and boasting as if they weren’t there. He was reminded of it constantly from teasing jokes and playful jabs from his friends (none of which were truly meant to insult), of which he would return in good natured fun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing it from </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nyssa</span>
  </em>
  <span>? From one of the few people in his cabin- let alone the entire camp- who actually took his ideas seriously, who valued and appreciated his mechanical knowledge. Making him feel, to a degree, intelligent; like he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> something that no one else could. Making him feel like he belonged, like he wasn’t a third wheel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to shove those emotions away, wanting to put on a smile for Nyssa so that she wouldn’t realize how much it had hurt. But he couldn’t do it. Not this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because only an </span>
  <em>
    <span>idiot</span>
  </em>
  <span> would think that you were in any way at fault for what happened.” Nyssa’s voice had softened considerably, and Leo felt a gentle weight of her hand descend on his shoulder as she continued. “How was it your fault that those goons decided to attack you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo still didn’t look at her, focusing on keeping his voice level as he spoke around the lump in his throat. “Like I was saying, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the one who started it by going to Clarisse-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why did you ask her to back off?” The interruption was accompanied by a tightening of the hand on his shoulder. Leo frowned, not quite understanding what his sibling was getting at. “Do you remember, or should I remind you that there was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>reason</span>
  </em>
  <span> you went and talked to the Head of Cabin Five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That morning felt like an age ago but Leo wouldn’t soon forget it. “I was there…. To ask them to stop harassing us until the Argo was complete.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pride in Nyssa’s voice was unexpected. Her hand left it’s perch on Leo’s shoulder and he looked back up, brow creased as he tried to piece together what Nyssa was getting at.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You weren’t the one who started bullying our siblings.” She said. “And you weren’t the one who decided to disobey the order of a senior camper. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one to stand up for your cabin and your cabinmates. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one who approached </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clarisse, </span>
  </em>
  <span>of all people, and make a request she actually agreed to. So go ahead and tell me again how </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> of this was your fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well he’d… he had… it was him who was responsible for...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa nodded after a minute of silence on Leo’s part as he tried and failed to come up with a counter point. “So stop being an idiot, and start being the Cabin Leader we all know you are.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo felt his cheeks burn from the underhanded compliment, gaze dropping from the older demigod. “You’re right.” He admitted. “I was being stupid. I’m sor-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you say you’re sorry one more time, so help me gods, I will march over to the Bunker and deactivate Festus for the rest of the week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You wouldn’t-” Leo’s head snapped back up only to see that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally</span>
  </em>
  <span> would. He swallowed, reevaluating his choice of words. “Then… thank you, for…” His voice trailed off as he realized he had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> to thank Nyssa for, but most importantly, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Gracias, por ser la mejor hermana del mundo</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa smiled wanly. “You know I don’t have a clue of what half of those words mean, but you’re welcome anyway. Now c’mon-” She pushed herself up, dusting off her pants before extending her hand. “You can’t very well be absent for your own sendoff party!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo returned the grin, taking the offered appendage. “Don’t play coy with me. You just don’t want to miss out on the cake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I’m the one that cleaned out the cooking pan- I dunno how, but there were definitely some metal shavings melted to the glass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo had to stop and shudder at the image that provided, and when he started to catch up to his sibling stopped with a frown. “Um, Nys- why did you use a weed-whacker on your hair?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Nyssa paused, the hand that had been reaching for the door instead moving to feel the back of her head. Her fingers reached the area Leo had mentioned, a look of complete and utter befuddlement crossing her eyes as she felt the several inch difference in strand length. Her expression darkened and a scowl twisted her lips, hand falling to her side and clenching into a fist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sooo, maybe he shouldn’t have said anything, Leo realized a bit too late, taking a careful step away from his half-sister who looked about two seconds away from hitting something. A fire burned in her eyes, one that- in Leo’s opinion- far surpassed the intensity of any glare Clarisse could muster up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because Jake really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>wanted to be mucking out the pegasus stables. Alone. Every day,” she felt it again and took a deep breath, adding, “until it grows back.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Aww... she really DOES care...<br/>Nyssa is best big sister and you cannot convince me otherwise.</p><p>As always, I love hearing from you guys. Also, feel free to just drop me a reminder if I forget to update- I am only human, after all, so if y'all catch me slacking don't be afraid to throw hands.</p><p>Until tomorrow!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The one where Leo tries to sleep but can’t, and Jake is the best big brother Leo could ask for.</p><p>Or: The night before leaving for Camp Jupiter.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>This is it. This is the last chapter in Camp Half Blood before we dive into some of the events of the original books!!!</p><p>I’m both excited and nervous because we’ve almost caught up with where the story is currently on ff.net</p><p>Wow time flies when you post every other day...</p><p>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 17: The Night Before</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Leo couldn’t sleep. Which was strange for two main reasons: 1) Leo was actually <em> trying </em> to get to sleep, instead of surrendering to unconsciousness from sheer exhaustion, and 2) Leo was sleeping in his bed for a change, a soft bed with pillows and not a solid metal workbench.</p><p>Correction- Leo was not <em> sleeping </em> in his bed, he was lying awake in his bed, staring up at the bottom of the bunk above his own, where his half-sibling’s foot had slipped over the side. There was a sock on said foot, the end of which was dangling precariously from the toes so that Leo was able to count the five holes in the fabric. Five holes. One or two, Leo could understand but <em> five </em>? At that point it would make more sense to turn it into a shirt for a mouse.</p><p>… <em> A shirt for a mouse? </em></p><p>Leo reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. Gods did he really just think that?</p><p>Reopening his eyes, Leo draped his arm behind his head, shifting so that he was staring at the far side of the cabin instead. The back of one of his half-siblings was there to greet him, the slow rise and fall of the blanket indicating that whoever it was was well and truly asleep. After another fifteen minutes of enviously watching his cabinmate achieve what he was currently unable to do, Leo turned back to stare at the sock. He tried to relax his mind but it was no use; thoughts flitted through his brain at a relentless pace. Tired eyes slid sideways to glance at the clock by his bed: it was only half past midnight.</p><p>Only seven and a half hours to go.</p><p>Seven and a half hours before he, Jason, Piper, and Annabeth left to go save the world.</p><p>His stomach churned at the thought so he tried to shove it from his mind.</p><p>It didn’t work. He wondered if there was going to be more fighting on their way to this other camp. If their last endeavor to save Piper’s dad was anything to judge by, then yes. Yes, there was a ninety-five percent chance of having to fend off some kind of mythical monster. Or even… even more giants. Leo swallowed thickly at the reminder of the towering behemoths from the abandoned factory. He hoped not, even as he realized that stuff like that was probably standard saving-the-world quest material. Death defying experiences were likely hidden inside the fine print of demigod prophecies.</p><p>… Did people even write down prophecies, or was everyone just expected to memorize them?</p><p>After another thirty minutes passed, Leo resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to be getting any sleep tonight. At least not at this rate. He needed to distract himself somehow, take his mind off of the quest.</p><p>With a quiet sigh, Leo swung his legs over the side of his bunk, slipping into his shoes and making his way towards the door. He went slowly, carefully, doing his best to avoid all of the squeaky floorboards. So focused was he on the ground that he completely forgot about the door itself- it opened a third of the way before a high pitched whine pierced the air.</p><p>Leo froze immediately, the sound cutting off almost as quickly. Silence slowly reclaimed the cabin, Leo’s gaze wandering over the forms of his sleeping cabinmates, seeing nothing other than some rolling heads and low, groggy mumbles. The breath he’d held left in a rush, and he slipped through the thin opening, making sure to close the door with more caution than he had opening it.</p><p>The night was warmer than it had been in a while, something Leo was grateful for, as the warmer temperatures would help keep the engines from icing over during their flight tomorrow. He angled away from the central fire pit, sticking to the half shadows cast in the moonlight. Chiron was still mandating nightly patrols, and although they weren’t as strict as they had been at the start of the year, Leo wasn’t about to gamble with the potential consequences of being caught out after curfew.</p><p><em> What’re they gonna do, put you on stable duty? </em> His restless mind inquired. <em> You’re leaving tomorrow so it’s not like they can really punish you </em>.</p><p>Unless they took him off of the quest. His feet pulled up short at the mental counter argument. They- they wouldn’t do that. Would they? Suddenly his head was filled with the image of him mucking out the pegasi stables while Jason, Piper, and Annabeth waved goodbye from the bow of the Argo II as it took off from the camp without him.</p><p>Leo blinked, then shook his head, as if the physical motion would dislodge the mental picture. He was thinking in hypotheticals again, and that never led anywhere good. Instead he focused on the ground beneath his feet as he slipped past the rock wall and the arts and crafts pavillion. Both places were still fairly forign, and it dawned on him that he actually hadn’t had the chance to use most of the amenities of the camp even though he’d been here for nearly a year.</p><p>Granted, the first half of that year he was on a quest to save the goddess Hera and Piper’s dad from Gaea’s giants- another shudder rippled down his spine at the memory- but the latter half was solely due to working on the Argo II.</p><p>He supposed he should have felt slighted for missing out on camp activities but… he wasn’t. It was a bit strange, since Jason and Piper had told him of all the fun they’d been having with training and team-building games. But where Leo should have felt envious or, at the very least upset about being excluded, there was nothing. No jealousy or anger, not even a hint of resentment that his friends were having fun without him. Although, the more he thought about it, maybe it wasn’t so strange, seeing as he only felt truly comfortable around his tools and machines.</p><p>The hum of cicadas announced his arrival in the forest, a vast stretch of woodlands hugging the west side of Camp Half-Blood. For most, the woods were a complex maze of endless trails and unexplored undergrowth; full of nymphs and satyrs, and a handful of the (arguably) less vicious monsters from Greek mythology that lurked in the deeper section of the forest. For Leo, it was the final obstacle between him and his destination.</p><p>His shoes padded softly on the dirt, following the footpath created by his siblings from the months of travel to and from the bunker. Even with the canopy above filtering out the majority of the moonlight, Leo moved with a surety and confidence until the towering metal building came into view. </p><p>He reached for the door, ignoring the squeal of the hinges as it sung open; out here, he was in no danger of waking up his half-siblings. Leo stepped across the threshold and paused, one hand still propping the door open as he took a deep breath of the slightly stale bunker air.</p><p>There was something about just being in the hanger that relieved some of the tension from Leo’s shoulders. The scent of engine oil and grease comforting in a way that the Hispanic had never been able to accurately convey to his friends. It was… it was almost like he was home.</p><p>Like if he closed his eyes he was still a kid in his mothers workshop, surrounded by beat-up cars and the smiling, smear-stained faces of her co-workers as he struggled to pick up a particularly large spanner wrench. He could hear them laugh, hear them say how he was growing up to be a ‘chip off the old block’ to which he would look up with confusion in his eyes and declare that blocks didn’t eat chips because they didn’t have mouths. Their laughter would only grow louder, the rough chortles of the men interspersed with the lighter bells of his mother’s voice joining in as she ruffled her hand through his uncombed hair.</p><p>But when Leo opened his eyes there were no rusting cars to greet his sight. The chuckles faded with the memory to be replaced with the soft drone of cicadas outside in the woods. His heart clenched with a sudden rush of grief. Leo’s hand fell to his side, the door swinging shut behind him and cutting off what little light had filtered through from the entrance. The darkness enveloped him like a blanket and Leo welcomed it; glad that it would hide the glossy sheen of moisture that filled his eyes.</p><p>It took a good minute or two for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light (not that he needed light to navigate the space he’d practically lived in for the past half of a year), and a good minute or two more until he was able to get a handle on his fractured emotions. With a sniff, Leo dashed the back of his hand across his eyes; and then he did it again just to make sure the tears were well and truly gone.</p><p>After all, he’d come to the bunker for a reason- and that reason wasn’t to cry over things that had already happened. He didn't have the luxury to dwell on his past mistakes when he still had a job to do. He had to make sure he was ready for the quest, had to make sure he didn’t make any <em> more </em> mistakes with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.</p><p>No pressure, right?</p><p>Leo didn’t even bother answering his own sarcastic question as his fingers twitched, itching for something to do. After another moment to take a collective breath, the Son of Hephaestus obliged, swinging by one of the work benches and snatching up a headlamp and a screwdriver. He made his way up on deck and paused again, glancing towards the masthead. His hand drummed against his hip as he considered turning on the dragon, then ultimately decided against it: he didn’t want to be lectured by Festus about not getting enough sleep before the big day.</p><p>The headlamp cast sharp shadows against the far wall as Leo worked his way through the ship, opening every access panel and ensuring the components within were properly positioned. Not that he had reason to suspect they weren’t. Quite the opposite, in fact. His siblings had done a fantastic job, and it was rather satisfying to see everything in working order with nothing wrong. His mother’s voice flitted through his thoughts, and Leo found himself echoing her words aloud.</p><p>“Can’t know what’s wrong until you know what’s right.” It was one of her favorite sayings, and Leo agreed wholeheartedly.</p><p>Process of elimination only worked if you knew where to start, usually leading to finding dozens of perfect, flawless pieces before determining that a single chipped lugnut was ruining the flow of the entire machine. A well oiled machine was like a team. The revelation wasn’t anything groundbreaking. Leo himself had made the comparison countless times during their first quest. He, Jason, and Piper were like cogs in a gearbox, no two were the same, but the teeth of each gear fit together in a seamless manner that complimented the others. Take one out and the machine would fail completely. Each piece had a specific part to play in the proper function of any mechanism.</p><p>His hands kept moving with practiced motions while he mused- It didn’t take long for the process of unlocking the dzus fasteners, dropping the panel, checking and refastening the quarter turn screws became a smooth rhythm; easing into a patten that Leo’s hands knew how to knit with practiced ease. <em> This </em> was what he was good at. And no, he wasn’t bragging, just stating a fact. When it came to machines and mechanics and complex constructs Leo was entirely in his element.</p><p>What he <em> wasn’t </em> good at was… well, that was a rather long and detailed list.</p><p>Fighting and combat chief among them. Jason was already good with his sword-spear coin, and even Piper had improved her skills with her mirror dagger. Leo had seen her and Annabeth sparring together more than a few times when he passed by the arena. The older demigod giving pointers to the younger girl on how to compensate for the shorter blade length. It was… impressive, to say the least. Leo could only offer a smile and words of encouragement when Piper had talked at dinner one night about all of the things she was learning. And Annabeth herself was one of the oldest demigods in the camp, so Leo held little reservations about her ability to hold her own in a scuffle.</p><p>Leo was also not a people person. He tended to insult with his well-meaninged jokes and annoy instead of charm. Luckily for them, Piper was well-practiced at smoothing any feathers he ruffled. She was an amazing negotiator in general. Sure it helped that she had the ability to literally call someone back from the dead with her charmspeak, but even before coming into her powers Piper had always commanded an air of confidence and personability about her. Making friends was never difficult for the Daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo was sure that would come in handy when trying to make allies at the other camp. Not to mention that Jason had originally come from the Roman camp (not that he could remember it thanks to a certain goddess), so as long as Leo kept his mouth shut they should be good in that department.</p><p>Annabeth was the brains of their group- of that Leo could not deny, no matter how frustrating her wealth of knowledge could be at times. Leo’s knuckles whitened around the handle of the screwdriver as he recalled the number of times the older demigod had come to the hanger, telling them how to do something they <em> already knew </em> how to do: As if her hours of research on a topic was oh-so-much better than their years of hand-on experience. Even then nothing she’s said had actually been <em> wrong, </em>much to Leo’s frustration, more just mis-timed to where they were in the project. Which had been just wonderful to try and fail to explain in the heat of the moment.</p><p>This Percy person they were going to go get was apparently a literal <em> god </em> at everything. He was a good fighter, a good talker, had a good head of his shoulders despite being a goofball. </p><p>Leo already didn’t like him.</p><p>He knew he was being unfair, he <em>knew</em> he had no right to judge the guy without even meeting him, but…. but if this Big Three Kid was half as amazing as everyone said he was, then what was Leo’s role supposed to be? Repair Boy Extraordinaire? The guy who flies the ship and sometimes cooks tofu burgers and tacos? That wasn’t a very comforting thought. It coiled in his gut like a snake- a poisonous one whose venom was slowly and painfully eating away at him from the inside out.</p><p>Leo’s hands slowed, shoulders slumping. What was he really good for, then? Honestly it would probably be better if they took someone like Nyssa or- hell, even <em> Clarisse </em> could provide some form of fighting prowess for the group. Something useful. </p><p>“I would say I’m surprised, but honestly, at this point I’m convinced you’re part machine yourself.”</p><p>Leo blinked in confusion for half a second before realizing the voice that just spoke was not in his head. Turning, he saw Jake leaning against the entry to the engine room, hair tousled and unkempt, arms crossed, and an eyebrow raised in quizzical fashion despite the bags pulling at the skin beneath his eyes.</p><p>“Though, I will admit I have no idea what you’re running off of.” The former cabin leader continued, “It’s not coffee, and it’s <em> definitely </em> not sleep, so...”</p><p>Eventually, Leo found his voice, abandoning the panel to stand and face his half-sibling. “Jake! What’re you doing here? It’s-” he glanced at the clock on the far wall, “-almost two in the morning.”</p><p>“Incredible.” Jake mumbed, running a hand down his face and covering a deep yawn. “Must be a mind reader too since you took the words right out of my mouth. What happened to ‘getting some sleep before the big day’?”</p><p>“I was- I was just checking some of the, uh-”</p><p>“Getting the pre-quest jitters, huh?”</p><p>Leo went to reply, instinctively opening his mouth with a ready denial and a deliberate change of topic on his tounge. But before the words could pass through his lips, he paused, his brain just then starting to function at something over minimum capacity. The facts clicked together methodically: Jake was here, in the bunker, at o-dark-thirty in the morning. Which meant he already knew the answer to that question before he’d asked it, or else he wouldn’t have bothered following Leo out of the cabin in the middle of the night.</p><p>At Leo’s open-mouthed silence, Jake’s lips twitched up in a satisfied half grin. “Gonna take that as a ‘yes’.”</p><p>“...yeah.” Leo agreed, reaching up with one hand to rub the back of his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you on my way out. I just, needed some air.”</p><p>“And something to do to distract you from the nerves, eh?” Jake said, nodding towards the opened panel and giving voice to the unspoken confession from the younger demigod. He pushed away from the doorway and moved to sit on the cot- Nyssa’s cot- that Leo had set up besides the engine’s reduction gearbox.</p><p>“No apology necessary, I know that feeling well enough. Hey, don’t make that face” Jake continued, when Leo leveled a skeptical look his way. “I’m serious. I’m not <em> just </em> manly, studly physique and rugged handsome looks.”</p><p>There was a slight edge to the words, and Leo winced internally, hoping he hadn’t just crossed a line. Jake didn’t… he didn’t think that’s all there was to him. Did he?</p><p>“I just make it <em> look </em> easy.” The former head counselor winked, his voice back to its normal cheer.</p><p>Of course not.</p><p>Leo’s hands fiddled with the screwdriver as he bit his lip, rolling it between his fingers. And why would he even have a reason to think that? Jake was an accomplished demigod, after all. He’d led Cabin Nine for years before Leo arrived and he was one of the most skilled riggers Leo’d ever met. Sure, he was a bit of a ladies man; he spent his spare time buddying up with the Daughters of Aphrodite when he wasn’t working on a side project. But he was more than his good looks and he knew it.</p><p>Jake’s eyes shifted down slightly, narrowing on the motion of the simple tool before his gaze returned to Leo’s face. He pursed his lips, looking over towards the far wall and when he spoke his tone was serious.</p><p>“Y’know, on my first quest, I was a nervous wreck. Couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, could barely drink even- was probably dangerously dehydrated. Hephaestus’ Beard- I checked my bag nearly a dozen times because I thought I’d forgotten to pack something.” His eyes slid back to Leo, who had stopped fiddling with the screwdriver to listen. “You know what snapped me out of it?”</p><p>Leo thought for a moment, then gestured towards the open panel with a halfhearted half-smile. “Check the hydraulic crossfeed valves a few more times?”</p><p>“No- though that’s definitely not something you should leave unfinished.” He said, looking at the opened panel absently. “What actually helped was that someone asked me a <em> very </em> important question.”</p><p>“What question?”</p><p>Jake looked meaningfully at the open panel, and Leo quickly replaced the fasteners, sensing that whatever this query was required all of his attention. When he’d finished, Jake patted the space beside him on the cot, inviting Leo to join him.</p><p>The dark blue fabric sagged under their combined weight, the only sound the steady thrumm of the engine providing reserve power to the systems. Leo’s hands twisted in his lap as Jake placed a hand on his shoulder, meeting the younger demigod’s gaze with an intense stare. Leo swallowed slightly as Jake drew a breath.</p><p>“Did you remember to pack the baby wipes?”</p><p>Leo choked on his own saliva, raising a hand and coughing roughly into it while his mind attempted to process the question. The sound slowly morphed into a laugh as Leo regained his breath.</p><p>“Okay,” he said once he’d regained the ability to speak, his voice still a bit breathless. “I take it all back. Your sense of humor is actually better than sub par. You really got me with that… one…”</p><p>Leo’s words trailed off into silence when he saw that Jake’s expression hadn’t changed; save for a hint of exasperation in his dark eyes. So then that… <em> hadn’t </em>… been a joke?</p><p>“...Baby wipes?”</p><p>“Baby wipes.” Jake echoed, folding his arms. “Where do you think you’ll be staying while you’re out there in the big wide world- at a fancy motel 6 or a bad and breakfast inn? Trust me, they may not save your life, but baby wipes will certainly save your sanity if not your nose.”</p><p>Leo scoffed, the grin still not entirely gone from his face. That might have been valuable advice <em> last time </em> he’d been outside of the camp. Sleeping in sewers, while nothing explicitly new for him, was still an experience he’d rather not recreate on a regular basis. But this time…</p><p>“Only, I <em> do </em> know where I’ll be sleeping.” Leo spread his arms out to either side, “I mean, we built the ship for a reason.</p><p>That finally seemed to crack Jake’s intense form as he blinked, slumping backwards against the wall and pursing his lips. “Huh… I guess you’re right.” He flapped a hand, his words carrying the more familiar light-hearted element they usually did. “Well, for those of us who<em> didn’t </em> have the luxury of riding a flying dragon boat, it was <em> very </em> critical advice.”</p><p>“I’m sure it was.” Leo was unable to keep the smile from his eyes and Jake rolled his own to the ceiling. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”</p><p>“Don’t mention it- seriously, don’t. I can’t <em> believe </em> I forgot the onboard shower system we installed.” Jake rubbed at his eyes. “I mean, I helped <em> design </em> the gods dammed thing too, ugh.” He ran his hand down his face. “My brain is seriously lagging right now. But, back to the matter at hand, I don’t see why you’re all worked up. You’ve already been on one quest already.”</p><p>And just like that the knot of stress and tension Leo had managed to ignore for the past few minutes returned, settling in his stomach like a fifty pound weight. The younger demigod’s grin vanished and he looked down at the floor, folding his hands in his lap as he leaned on his knees.</p><p>“That one didn’t involve the fate of the world hanging in the balance. A-and what about when I make a mistake? Last time we managed to get out of things okay- barely.” His hands clenched, voice lowering to a murmur. “I just don’t want to mess things up like I did before.”</p><p>The cot shifted beneath him as Jake leaned forward too. “Leo, you’re going to make mistakes, it’s inevitable so there’s no use worrying about that.”</p><p>“Thanks, Jake. That makes me feel <em> so </em> much better.”</p><p>The sarcasm only seemed to amuse his half-brother, and Leo foot began tapping on the floor, shoulders hunching. How was any of this funny? Didn’t Jake realize people could <em> die </em> if he screwed up?</p><p>“I’m not trying to sugar coat it. Seriously, I made more mistakes on my quest than I can count- and I can count to at least thirty-two so that’s saying something.” Jake paused for a moment, then sighed when Leo remained tense. “But that’s why you have your teammates. They’re there to cover your back when you fall and you’re there to do the same for them. You’ll make mistakes, the key is making sure you don’t make the same one twice; that you <em> learn </em> from it. The fact that you’re even up at this ungodly hour of the night triple checking system components that I know <em> you </em>know are perfectly fine says a lot.”</p><p>“Sure, it says I’m a paranoid insomniac.” Leo muttered, then he sighed, pushing himself to his feet and pacing a few steps towards the center of the room. “You don’t get it, the prophecy said ‘to storm or fire the world must fall’. Storm or fire. Jake, <em> I’m </em> fire,” Leo whirled around, holding out his hands and summoning a small flame to be cradled between his fingers.</p><p>The older demigod flinched back with surprise at the sudden appearance of the flickering ember. Something deep in Leo’s heart tightened at the reaction, even knowing it was purely instinctive. He closed his hands into fists, extinguishing the small blaze and dropping them to his sides as if that would hide the fact that they were shaking. Instead he moved his feet, walking a few steps one way before spinning and walking back as he talked.</p><p>“Which means there’s a fifty percent chance that it’ll be <em> me </em> who- who…” Leo swallowed hard, trying and failing to put that thought out of his mind. His chest felt tight, like he wasn’t getting enough air and words started tumbling from his lips. “It said <em> must </em> . Not ‘can’ or ‘may’, but <em> must </em> . The world <em> must </em> fall. Meaning it has to happen at some point before this is all over and I- what if <em> I </em>’m the reason why-”</p><p>The sound of metal scraping on metal was the only warning he got before a pair of hands gripped his shoulders hard, stilling his relentless pacing.</p><p>“Okay, enough.” Jake’s voice cut through his own with a stiff edge. “I don’t want to hear another word from you about that. Prophesies can be deceiving. They never mean what they say outright so stop acting like it’s written in stone, because it’s <em> not </em>.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“No.” Fingers pressed harder into his shoulder. “No ‘but’s Leo. You can’t base your actions on what some stupid riddle says.” Jake took a deep breath, relaxing his grip but keeping his hands where they were. It was grounding, in a way, and Leo was grateful for the gentle weight.</p><p>“Leo, you’re ready for this. You’re a capable demigod with a good head on your shoulders. You’d never do anything to put your friends in danger, and I’ve seen firsthand how hard you’ll fight to protect them: even if it means facing down a Daughter of Ares who’s twice your size.”</p><p>Leo felt his cheeks heat but Jake wasn’t finished. “You broke the curse of Cabin Nine, tamed a rampaging dragon on your third day in camp, and are a great cabin leader to boot- even if you annoy the ever living daylights out of Nyssa sometimes.” Not that Jake sounded all that reprimanding about the last bit. “You’re one hell of a mechanic- solved problems Nys and I were stuck on for hours with a single glance, devised a whole new engine when the original design failed, and made a fire protection system with salt and clay that Hephaestus himself wouldn’t have been able to dream up.”</p><p>At this point, Leo’s whole face was redder than Festus’ polycarbonate eyes. He looked up at the former cabin leader through his bangs, finding the next breath easier to take. “I… guess I am pretty awesome, aren’t I?”</p><p>It came out as more of a question than he’d intended. But Jake smiled earnestly, letting go of his shoulders to ruffle a hand through Leo’s hair.</p><p>“Absolutely irreplaceable.”</p><hr/><p>Leo woke to the sound of a camera lens shutter opening and closing. Rubbing at bleary eyes, Leo frowned in the low light of the engine room. The last thing he remembered was Jake convincing him to get some sleep, after their talk: but it looked like he hadn’t left the ship, so then... A second shutter click had him tuning his head and blinking when he saw Nyssa standing a little ways away, lowering the source of the noise with a wicked grin. </p><p>“Nys? What’re you-”</p><p>“Shh…” The older girl brought a finger to her lips, winking slyly and gesturing to something on the floor.</p><p>Peering over the edge of the cot- which had been surprisingly comfortable to sleep on- Leo saw Jake snoring away on the floor. His head was pillowed on top of a pile of pigmat, and cradled in his arms like a soft fuzzy teddy bear was a small open toolbox, the contents of which had spilled out at some point and lay scattered around the sleeping demigod. A small puddle of drool was pooling on the ground beside him and one section of his hair was sticking up in a amusing angle.</p><p>Nyssa snapped another photo, a gleam in her eyes. “Vengeance.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Jake and Nysa deserve some kind of award for being so supportive :) and hugs. Lots of hugs.</p><p>Hope you liked it- next time it’s off to Camp Jupiter (where nothing at ALL goes wrong. Especially not with Leo...).</p><p>As always, your thoughts and comments are my muse, thank you to everyone who reviews- you are my heroes!</p><p>Until (what day is it today...) Thursday!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jason comes home, Annabeth kisses Percy, Annabeth then proceeds to judo flip Percy, and is anyone else feeling cold? No? Just Leo?</p><p>Or: Leo, Jason, Piper, and Annabeth arrive at Camp Jupiter</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>We're here!!! Finally arrived in Camp Jupiter and now it's time to kick off with the book scenes that I felt could be explored a bit more/expanded on/told from different POV's. Many of the scenes from here on out will be recreations of the book scenes but with a few original edits and my own spin on certain things.</p><p>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 18: A Cold Reception</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After months of fixing problem after problem after problem in creating the Argo II, Leo was finding it really hard not to get cabin fever as things kept going... </span>
  <em>
    <span>right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, it was a good- rather, </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span> indication that the Argo II’s monster-finding sensors were working as intended. They’d managed to avoid numerous fights before they’d even started thanks to the on-board warning system: a small matter that Coach Hedge lamented whenever Leo steered the ship away from foes. But the Son of Hephaestus wasn’t ready to let his guard down just yet. He found himself checking gauges and wrestling with levers as they neared the western coastline, ensuring that all of the ships faculties were in proper working order.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>First impressions, as Annabeth had pointed out just hours earlier, were ‘critical to the success of this alliance’ after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced up as he made the rounds up on the stern quarterdeck, seeing Annabeth standing next to the starboard rail, eyes trained on the clouds below. Her blonde hair was loose around her face, shoulders tense as her fingers drummed in a steady rhythm on the rail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t the only one who was nervous. Piper was pacing back and forth between the main mast and the ballistae, dressed in torn jeans and a white tank top with pink Hello Kitty designs. Her choppy brown hair was braided prettily down the right side of her face, a single eagle feather swaying back and forth as she walked, practicing her lines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lower your weapons,” she murmured. “We just want to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her charmspeak was so powerful that Leo had the sudden desire to drop the Wii remote he was holding, abandon the helm, and have a nice long chat with his friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was Jason. He stood by the bow on the raised crossbow platform, where the Romans would have a hard time missing him. One hand was gripping the hilt of his golden sword hard enough for Leo to see the metacarpals practically popping out of his skin. Leo had to stifle his laugh as his eyes trailed down the white curtain (it was supposed to be a toga, but there had been limited options along the way) draped over his jeans and orange t-shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The purple cloak, on the other hand, made him look downright regal as a gust of air sent the cloth billowing dramatically in the breeze. And Leo was partial to the idea that the wind was just naturally on Jason’s side, seeing as he was the son of Zues- Jupiter, whatever- lord of the skies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He radiated a confidence and power that screamed ‘Don’t mess with this guy’. It sent a chill down Leo’s spine just watching his friend square his shoulders and lift his chin as a warning horn sounded below; eyes trained on the ground and the flurry of activity as if he were preparing to scold a rowdy bunch of children if they got too out of hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which… Leo supposed, might not be the worst description of what was about to happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo spared a glance down at his own getup, wondering if maybe he should’ve put on a cleaner shirt- or at least one without a sizeable streak of charcoal gray click-bond adhesive down the front. His suspenders spotted a plethora of oil stains too, not all of them recent acquisitions, and Leo frowned as he realized he didn’t have a second one to change into. With a slight lift of his shoulders he turned back to flying the ship, deciding it didn’t really matter; he wasn’t planning on being in the front when the talking started anyway-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>BOOM!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The explosion took Leo’s attention away from his getup with a spike of panic as he scanned the gauges on the control panel. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh gods</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please please </span>
  </em>
  <span>please </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell me the engines didn’t just backfire</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Because a ‘boom’ that loud could mean nothing good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unacceptable!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo paused in his frantic search for which meter had been in the red zone, looking up to find that someone had boarded the ship while they were in the air. Well, not some</span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span>, technically. Sulfurous yellow smoke curled from the base of the statue that had apparently </span>
  <em>
    <span>exploded</span>
  </em>
  <span> into existence next to Annabeth on the lower deck. Cinders popped and sparked around his curly hair. From the waist down, he was nothing but a square marble pedestal, his upper half carved in the shape of a muscular human figure (minus the arms, Leo noted) in a stone toga.</span>
</p><p><span>“I will </span><em><span>not</span></em><span> have weapons inside the Pomerian Line!”</span> <span>And even without seeing his face, Leo could tell by the fussy teacher voice that this bust was not in the best of moods. “And I most </span><em><span>certainly</span></em><span> will not have </span><em><span>Greeks</span></em><span>!”</span></p><p>
  <span>The last word was spat out with such venom that Leo was surprised the statues curls weren’t shaped like snakes. Jason shot Annabeth a look of reassurance- as even the mighty Daughter of Athena looked thrown off by the marble man- and stepped away from the bow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Terminus,” He said placatingly, “It’s me, Jason Grace.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I remember </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Jason!” Terminus grumbled. “I thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of Rome!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus creaked in annoyance at the rude man... statue… thing, swiveling his head to stare at Terminus while Jason and Piper tried to diffuse the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno Festus,” Leo said, leaning over the control panel to watch. “If you ask me he’s still got a chisel up his pedestal, if you know what I mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Impertinence!” Terminus shrieked. There was sharp </span>
  <em>
    <span>POP</span>
  </em>
  <span> and a flash of yellow around Piper. The Daughter of Aphrodite yelped, dropping her dagger which was now smoking and sparking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The statue seemed pleased, tone turning smug as it said, “Lucky for you I’ve just been through a battle. If I were at full strength, I would’ve blasted this flying </span>
  <em>
    <span>monstrosity</span>
  </em>
  <span> out of the sky already!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold up.” Leo straightened with a surge of rage, wagging the Wii remote threateningly at the statue. “Did you just call my ship a </span>
  <em>
    <span>monstrosity</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> you didn’t say that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus matched his anger with a hiss of steam, gears grinding as the mounted crossbows shifted ever so slightly, the dragon easily conveying his urge to blow this arrogant piece of stone off of their ship. And honestly, Leo himself was getting less patient with people insulting his work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was then that Annabeth seemed to snap out of her shock and she raised her hands in a placating gesture. “Let’s all calm down.” And her eyes slid momentarily over to Leo with a warning in their steely depths. “I take it you’re Terminus, god of boundaries? Jason told me you protect the city of New Rome, I’m Annabeth Chase, Daughter of-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Terminus interrupted again, and Festus reiterated his annoyance with a snort. Leo couldn’t help but be tempted by his animatronic’s suggestion to test how fast his fiery breath could melt marble: unfortunately, they were here on a mission of peace, and shattering the Roman god of armless statues wouldn’t be the best way to start off relations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason was saying much the same thing on the deck below. “We’re asking for permission to land so we can-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Impossible.” The god squeaked. “Lay down your weapons and surrender! Leave my city immediately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, which is it?” Leo didn’t hide the heavy dose of sarcasm that laced his words. “Surrender, or leave?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both!” Terminus said. “Surrender, then leave. I am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you rediculous boy! Do you feel that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo did, in fact, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> feel anything remotely close to a slap. He raised an eyebrow, studying the statue that was now glowering at him. “Wow. You’re wound pretty up tight. You sure you don’t have any gears in there that need loosening?” He pulled a screwdriver out of his toolbelt with his free hand. “I could take a look if you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His first thought upon seeing Terminus was to assume ‘magic’, because how else would a marble bust on a pedestal be able to talk? But now that he thought about it, Terminus could possibly be just a more advanced animatronic with an outer rock layering. That would explain why his squealing voice sounded close to the noise a poorly oiled rig would make. Maybe the sentient statue just needed some WD-40.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop that!” Terminus insisted. Another small explosion sounded and Leo dropped the tool as a shock rippled through his hand. “Weapons are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The what?” Piper asked, and Leo was glad she had given voice to his exact question, because he had no idea what dogs had to do with weapons (unless their adorable-ness was considered dangerous, which, in all honesty, it could be).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The City Limit.” Jason translated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this entire ship is a weapon!” Terminus said, looking pointedly at the mounted crossbows. “You simply </span>
  <em>
    <span>cannot</span>
  </em>
  <span> land. I won’t allow it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well then, this put a bit of a stopper in their plans, because there was no way that Leo was about to leave his baby (let alone Festus) out where any sort of monster or giant or tourist could just stroll up the ramp. Sure, the ship had built in defenses, but Leo wasn’t prideful enough to admit they were foolproof.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo, stop the ship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo blinked a few times at the order, head turning to stare at Annabeth as if she was the one without arms. “What?” But her gaze was trained on the earth below, her face twisted in an expression that Leo didn’t think he’d ever seen before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked… pleased. A genuine smile tugging at her lips and the corner of her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard me.” She answered without looking at Leo. “Keep us right where we are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s hand clenched tighter around the Wii remote as he fought the urge to snap back with a sarcastic ‘aye aye, captain’. Like it wasn’t bad enough she was ordering him around on </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> ship, she didn’t even possess the decency to look at him when she was telling him what to do- again, </span>
  <em>
    <span>on his own ship</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But as quickly as the anger swelled, it faded just as fast to be replaced with a tired acceptance. A part of him wondered if the Daughter of Athena would ever see him as more than just the repair boy as Leo obliged with a sigh, yanking the Wii controller upwards and halting all ninety oars in place. The ship stopped sinking, holding it’s elevation. It was only then that Annabeth turned back to Terminus, her expression smug, like she’d just made the final move to checkmate in a game of chess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Terminus, there’s no rule against hovering </span>
  <em>
    <span>over</span>
  </em>
  <span> New Rome, is there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The statue frowned for a moment. “Well… no…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we can keep the ship aloft. We’ll use a rope ladder to reach the forum. That way, the ship won’t be on Roman soil. Not technically.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Terminus considered the new terms, Leo wondered if he was scratching his chin with his imaginary hands. “I like technicalities.” He said eventually. “Still…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All our weapons will stay aboard the ship.” Annabeth promised. “I assume the Romans- even those reinforcements marching towards us- will also have to honor your rules inside the Pomerian Line if you tell them to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” Terminus said. “Do I look like I tolerate rule breakers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something didn’t feel right… Leo couldn’t put his finger on it, but the thought of descending without any means of protection sent a chill down his back. Maybe it was just a gut instinct, but deep in the pit of his stomach Leo felt something coil in unease: the same kind of feeling that would normally have him reaching into his toolbelt for his hammer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, Annabeth…” Leo surprised himself by giving voice to his hesitation. “You sure this is a good idea?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth took a deep breath before answering. “It’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span> The sea of hastily formed demigods parted to allow their entourage to stroll up to the forum. Some looked tense, others nervous, and more were bandaged from some kind of battle if Leo had to guess. But no one was armed, and no one attacked, so the Son of Hephaestus counted that as a win.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granted, </span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> weren’t armed either, Leo’s hands tucked into the pockets of his pants as he tried to ignore the uncomfortable absence of the weight of his toolbelt. Unfortunately it seemed as if Terminus </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> somewhat magical as he’d seen straight through Leo’s bluff that it was an ordinary mechanic’s fashion accessory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they drew near, Leo noticed that not all who had gathered were in their teen years. Entire families, complete with toddlers and elderly folks in an unusual combination of Roman robes and modern clothing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Were all of them demigods?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Leo wondered. At Camp Half-Blood, all of the demigods were teens or young adults. Jake had told him that those who survived long enough would sometimes leave to start their lives in the mortal world (as best they could) but here… Here it was an entire multigenerational community.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or maybe California just had less monster attacks than New York? Lucky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the far end of the crowd stood a smaller group of demigods, along with a Cyclops and a dog as black as smoke and as large as a bear. In the center of them was a girl in Roman armor and a purple cape; her obsidian hair tumbled over her shoulders like an inky waterfall, eyes equally dark as they traced their approach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid to her left was tall and tanned, like he’d just come from the beach. His dark, windswept hair only added to the image, and his sea-green gaze was tunnel-focused on the one leading their small group. He was smiling so wide at Annabeth that Leo would’ve had to be a romantic dimwit to not realize this was the fabled Percy Jackson they’d come to ‘rescue’ (who looked to be perfectly fine and healthy and not in need of rescuing to Leo).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl in the purple cape began addressing Jason, but before she could get a single sentence out, Annabeth broke ranks, surging forward towards the Romans. The crowd tensed, some reaching for swords that weren’t there, but Percy did the same. He threw his arms around Annabeth and the reunited couple kissed like they were the main characters of a romance novel. The crowd relaxed when no blows were exchanged, but then the pair kept kissing. And kissing. And then Leo started to blush in secondhand embarrassment because they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>still kissing.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo glanced around to see if he was the only one feeling more than a bit of discomfort at the PDA. Jason’s eyebrows had risen and Piper was averting her gaze, some of the Romans following suit. It didn’t last forever, as the tense atmosphere began to change to one of joy at the Hallmark-like scene before them, a few of the elderly demigods even ‘aww-ing’ quietly. To be fair, it was kind of a sweet moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until Annabeth decided to yeet Romeo over her shoulder and slam him to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Romans cried out in surprise, as even Leo wasn’t expecting the blonde to body slam her boyfriend onto the pavement, but the girl in the purple robe called them off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> leave me again,” Annabeth’s words wobbled a bit, even as she tried to sound threatening. “I swear to </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> the gods-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy interrupted her with a laugh, and gods damn it- even his laugh was the perfect, rolling sound of a brook not caring about the rocks that flipped it about. Full of joy and relief as he smiled up at Annabeth. “Consider me warned. I missed you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason cleared his throat as the newly reunited couple stood back up. “So, yeah… It’s, uh, good to be back. Guys, this is Reyna, Preator of Camp Jupiter. Reyna, these are my friends Piper and Leo-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At his introduction Leo flashed the assembled Romans one of his patented grins, holding up a peace sign with his right hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-and this is Annabeth. Uh, normally she doesn’t judo-flip people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reyna, the black-haired girl, considered Annabeth with a gleam in her eye. “You sure you’re not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde smirked and held out her hand in greeting. “I only attack my boyfriend like that,” she reassured. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the Roman reinforcements were dismissed shortly after, as Reyna ordered the senior looking demigods to prepare a feast in the kitchen. Leo couldn’t stop his stomach from growling softly at the idea of food, drawing a light chuckle from Piper as she heard it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re letting these intruders into the </span>
  <em>
    <span>camp</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” By the shrieking nature of the objection, Leo expected to see bust-terminus again. Instead he found that high pitched, childish exclamations were apparently common for the Romans. The one who’d spoken was a tall human with stringy blond hair that had elbowed his way to the front using four fully-functioning limbs. “Reyna,” he continued, “the security risks-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not taking them to the camp, Octavian.” Reyna shot him a stern look that reminded Leo all too much of Annabeth when she was annoyed. “We’ll eat here, in the forum.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>much</span>
  </em>
  <span> better.” Octavian grumbled. Leo was honestly surprised that he was the one who didn’t seem to defer to Reyna as his superior, given his scrawny, pale-faced demeanor and the three teddy bears hanging from his belt. “You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was about to point out that the Argo II wasn’t meant to be a warship, and the crossbows were for protection from monsters, but he didn’t get the chance to defend his baby as Reyna spoke up, effectively dismissing him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, go burn your bears, Octavian.” Percy put in, and Leo had no difficulty telling by the way Reyna was trying hard not to smile that Octavian was not a very well-liked person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the rest of the Romans disbanded, Reyna led them towards the ‘forum’ she’d waved at earlier. Leo didn’t dare ask what that was and risk their newest allies also considering him an idiot, although he did wish he had a gut instinct for Latin like he did with Greek. But from the ‘eating’ context the guy had given earlier and the furniture-showroom interior, it looked like a lunch place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> Romans lounged around in groups of ten to twenty, talking and laughing while wind spirits- </span>
  <em>
    <span>aurae</span>
  </em>
  <span>- swirled overhead, bringing an endless assortment of chips, pizza, sandwiches, cold drinks, and fresh baked cookies to the tables. In the nearby fields, large war elephants frolicked with the large black hellhound that Annabeth had called Mrs. O’Leary, and children played tag around statues that lined the city limits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tornado of food and platters drew Leo’s attention back to the table as Reyna made a toast to friendship, holding up her glass of pepsi soda in a more regal manner than the carbonated drink deserved. Introductions began in a more formal fashion starting with the two kids that had accompanied Percy and Reyna to the forum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The burly asian with the buzz cut was named Frank, the boy looking no older than Leo himself. He reminded the Son of Hephaestus of one of those over-sized panda bears you could win from carnival games. The analogy would’ve been perfect if not for his eyes, which were akin to hardwood spears sharply roving over the Greek demigods with an intelligent gleam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl next to him was a few years younger, and Leo had to try hard not to gape because she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>gorgeous</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She had a dark chocolate hue to her skin, with bright yellow eyes that shone like golden specks between her long, cinnamon curls. The cavalry helmet she’d had tucked under her arm rested beside her now on one of the couch cushions, the bright red trim only accenting the natural amber tones in her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel. Her name was Hazel Levesque and by the gods, even that name sounded angelic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at them all in turn with a timid smile tugging at her lips, and when she got to Leo, he could’ve sworn her gilded gaze lingered on him longer than the others. And he must’ve imagined the slight dusting of color on her cheeks when she looked away because… no, it was probably just a trick of the light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason went next, introducing them one at a time, and Leo pulled his attention away from Hazel when his name was brought up. “And this is Leo-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Master mechanic, fearless captain, and the undisputed expert at making a killer tofu burger.” Leo interrupted with a cheeky grin, making a flourishing half-bow from his seated position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper rolled her eyes while Jason snorted at his antics, and even Percy was stifling a chuckle. The Romans remained unamused, however, and even Annabeth was sending him a look that warned him not to overdo it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s the Son of Hephaestus who built the Argo II,” Jason continued, only to be interrupted once more by a high pitched whine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh good,” Octavian said, and Leo didn’t even realize that the lanky blond had returned, “so it’s thanks to him that we now have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>warship</span>
  </em>
  <span> hovering above our heads.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s smile slipped as he looked up, that same cold feeling from earlier rising to the forefront.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If </span>
  </em>
  <span>one</span>
  <em>
    <span> more person insulted his masterpiece</span>
  </em>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For once, you’re absolutely right, Octavian: You </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> be thanking him.” Blinking, Leo looked up at Jason, seeing his friend’s expression twisted into one of equal irritation as he regarded his fellow Roman. “Because, that ship is the reason we’re even getting a chance to stop Gaea and her giants in the first place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed,” Reyna agreed, sending a black look at Octavian. “And we are grateful that it has brought you home to us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Octavian huffed at the clear reprimand, folding his arms and leaning back into the cushions like a petulant child who'd been told he wouldn't be getting dessert. Jason stared him down a moment longer before continuing the introductions, moving on to Piper next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s hands began to feel restless, so he leaned forward to grab one of the foil wrapped tacos. It was then that he realized someone was still looking at him, even as introductions were progressing down the line of Greek demigods. And his imagination must’ve still been running wild because it was Hazel who was staring at him; and not in the ‘man this guy is a weirdo’ kind of way. She looked more confused than anything, a pinch between her brows clearly visible even sitting on the far side of the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that Leo was unused to being stared at by cute girls (he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> the super sized McSchizzle, after all) so he waggled his brows and snapped, shooting finger guns in her direction with a lopsided smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel’s cheeks immediately colored and she looked away. Frank looked over at the sudden motion and frowned at Leo, gaze darkening considerably and- whoa-kay, yeah, Leo didn’t know how he hadn’t seen it before but those two were clearly an item. From the way they sat so comfortably close to each other on the sofa to how Hazel had turned her head in the direction of the bigger boy. Maybe they weren’t a true couple yet in the same way Annabeth and Percy seemed to be, but Leo was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>about to try and get between those two and possibly ruin the whole Roman-Greek alliance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He exchanged the finger guns to a timid wave at Frank before turning back to the food and silently vowing never to do that again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After introductions had been made, the conversation got- if at all possible- even more boring as Jason began telling the tale of how they had saved Hera. Leo tuned most of it out, accumulating a small pile of foil wrappers as the story dragged on. He glanced up at one of the passing wind spirits and got an idea, his hands easily molding the thin aluminum. Leo had been meaning to try out a new blade design that would’ve been more aerodynamically efficient on the engines, but never got the chance to do so before they left Camp Half-Blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason finished speaking and Octavian made another snarky comment to which Piper responded and blah, blah, blah… Once again, Leo was thankful he wasn’t the one who had to do the talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then Percy was prompted to share his own adventure by his Roman allies and Leo couldn’t help but turn an ear towards the narrative of their journey north. How he, Frank, and Hazel had journeyed to the far reaches of Alaska, defeated the giant Alcyoneous, freed the Roman god of death, Thanatos, and returned to Camp Jupiter to successfully repel an attack by the giant’s army.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Percy had finished, Jason whistled appreciatively, saying, “No wonder they made you preator.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo had to admit, as far as first impressions went, this Percy guy was… pretty cool. Which only made him feel worse about his pre-formed judgements of the older demigod. Leo’s thoughts were a strange mixture of guilt and shame and relief. Relief that Percy was a down-to-earth teen with a friendly demeanor that didn’t overextend into the realm of arrogance. And guilt and shame over his inexplicable </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to dislike someone who was the poster child of the Camp Halfblood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo could practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear</span>
  </em>
  <span> his mama scolding him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Octavian made some comment to which Percy snarked back, earning a smile and fist bump from Jason; and Leo’s chest felt tight as he watched what was clearly the budding of a strong bromance between the two leaders. Jealousy was not an uncommon emotion for the mechanic, however it always felt misplaced and just plain </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be jealous of his closest friends, so he tamped down on the emotion quickly, reverting his attention back to the craft he’d been silently constructing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The aluminum pinwheel was just about finished, and Leo smiled as he held it out in the path of an oncoming wind spirit. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>aurae </span>
  </em>
  <span>didn’t even change it’s direction, ghosting through the propeller and sending it spinning. Leo watched it with interest, noting how the rotations acceleration differed from his other designs-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall-</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A violent chill raced up Leo’s spine as the words of the Prophecy of Seven were spoken aloud, and he had to force himself not to give a bodily shudder as the following verses were easily picked up by Annabeth to complete the apocalyptic poem. He let out a breathless sigh as no one seemed to have noticed (or been paying attention to) his stiffened posture, the rest of the assembled group returning to the throws of conversation as Leo’s own thoughts turned inward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite Jake’s last minute reassurances that all would work out in the end, Leo hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that his role in this quest would be crucial in the outcome of whether they all lived or died. It had been the basis of many a sleepless nights on the trip from New York to California, regardless of how Festus had tried to coax him to get some rest. But whispers of memories haunted even his waking moments; dredging up all of the times he’d let his powers spiral out of control and highlighting his failures in the workshop. Reminding him how little he had to contribute to the team as a whole and-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Leo’s hand clenched around the stalk of the foil pinwheel strong enough to crush the aluminum stem. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Stop it. Stop thinking like that. You’re not a liability; not just a third wheel</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though, technically, if he counted the Romans and Percy, there were now seven of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a sharp shake of his head, Leo decided that he needed to get out of his own head for a while, turning back to the ongoing discussion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Travelling to the Mediterranean is a different level of danger altogether.” Reyna was saying with a frown. “It’s been off limits to Roman demigods fro centuries. No hero in their right mind would go there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we’re good!” Leo plastered a wide grin onto his face as he looked over the top of his pinwheel at them all. “Because we’re all crazy, right? Besides, the Argo II is a top of the line transport ship: the finest trireme ot roam the seven skys. She’ll get us through easily enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll have to hurry,” Jason added. “I don’t know exactly what the giants are planning, but Gaea is growing more conscious all the time. She’s invading dreams, appearing in weird places, summoning more and more powerful monsters. We have to stop the giants before they can wake her up fully.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reyna hummed thoughtfully, looking towards Percy and Annabeth. “Well, Octavian was right about one thing. We must gain the senate’s approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest- particularly one as dangerous as you’re suggesting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After preening initially at the admittance of his valid point, Octavian still managed to sneer at the Greeks. “This whole thing smells of treachery. That trireme is not a ship of peace!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the repeated distrust of his baby. “Then come aboard, man. I’ll give you a tour. You can steer the ship, and- if you’re really good- I’ll give you a little paper captains hat to wear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Octavians nostrils flared. “How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a good idea.” Reyna intervened, placing a calming hand on the shoulder of the taller boy. “Octavian, go with him. See the ship. We’ll convene at a senate meeting in one hour.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…” Octavian stopped as Reyna’s hand gripped his shoulder a little harder. He swallowed visibly before grumbling out a reluctant, “Fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo got up with an exaggerated stretch, looking back at the group with an impish grin as he and Octavian made their way towards the rope ladder. “Back soon.” He called with a wave. “This is gonna be epic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Octavian was mostly silent on the short walk over to the ship’s ladder which was fine by Leo. The taller boy was muttering something about ‘absurdities’ and ‘disrespect’ to which Leo assumed were directed back to the Romans at the forum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the duo drew further and further away from the others, Leo couldn’t help but feel like something was still very wrong about all of this. That same unease from earlier, before they’d descended, returned, and the Son of Hephaestus found himself rapidly tapping out ‘I love you’ in morse code on the side of his pant leg. But instead of the calming effect he had hoped for, the message only served as another point of paranoia, like some ominous omen telling him that- like that fateful night in his mothers warehouse- things were about to go horribly wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a chilly breeze that swayed the rope ladder as they scaled to the top and, all at once, Leo’s nerves seemed to vanish like shadows in the sun. Why was he worrying? Everything was fine. He had nothing to worry about. Things were going exactly as they had planned, and no one was any the wiser.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo blinked. Why… why did he just think that? It was certainly a strange way to word the thought that the alliance was going well. He heard the faint sounds of laughter in the back of his head. A sinister sound that was completely foreign to the demigod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No… no, the laughter must’ve been coming from the children playing tag below them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, that was it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Get your head in the game, Valdez</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Leo shook his head and continued the climb. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just give the prick a tour and keep him busy for the next hour</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he reached the top, Octavian was already inspecting the ballistae with a judgemental eye. He looked in Leo’s direction with a curl of his lip. “Not a warship, eh? Looks to me like you have plenty of firepower for a ‘peaceful’ visit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Those are only for defense against monsters.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was what Leo wanted to say, but instead the words that left his mouth were, “You’re not a very popular guy, are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… And </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hades</span>
  </em>
  <span> would he say that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo mentally smacked himself repeatedly at the slip of the tongue. They were here to make </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> not enemies, and Octavian was already not on their good side so what on </span>
  <em>
    <span>earth</span>
  </em>
  <span> possessed him to antagonize the guy further? Seriously, what was he thinking? That’s not how you make allies!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Octavian’s face reddened and he opened his mouth but Leo beat him to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I just meant to say that it seems like they don’t value you opinion as much, which is just terrible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a humph, Octavian relaxed slightly, turning his back as he continued to cast a critical eye over the weaponry. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>They</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t appreciate my intellect. After all, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Augur</span>
  </em>
  <span> of Camp Jupiter, you know: the gods speak their will through me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, I’m sure they do.” Leo started making his way over, slipping on the toolbelt he’d left in the pile of discarded weapons by the mast. “You’re a smart guy and it’s a shame the others don’t listen to you more often. Because you’re absolutely right,” Leo’s face twisted into a grin that felt invasive to his own skin as he pulled out a wrench. “This </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> a warship. And we’re not here to make peace.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Octavian could so much as turn around, Leo was moving, the spanner arcing down to solidly connect with the back of the Roman’s head. Octavian crumpled to the deck like a puppet with his strings cut, a soft moan being the only sign of life before the blond slipped into unconsciousness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo stood over him for a moment, half of his brain panicking because: </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh gods- what did he just do!</span>
  </em>
  <span> The other half, however, was unnervingly calm. Satisfied, even, at the sight of the unresponsive Roman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus whirred in concern, looking back at his pilot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without a word to the dragon, Leo found himself moving towards the control panel. Festus snapped again, this time more forcefully and Leo frowned at the animatronic. “Of course I know what I’m doing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he promptly shut down the masthead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the flip of a switch, Festus powered down, red polycarbonate eyes dimming and jaw hinging open, almost as if the dragon was still able to express his shock even in his </span>
  <span>deactivated</span>
  <span> state. Leo rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms above his head before allowing his hands to hover over the controls. His fingers twitched in anticipation, as if itching to get to work and enact their plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twisted grin returned and Leo cackled in delight: It was time to have some fun!</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Oh boy... here we go...</p><p>I'm actually a bit nervous, because we've almost caught up to where I'm at writing-wise in this story. I'm still working on chapter 21 at the moment, and I'm going to do my best to get it out by Wednesday of next week but... after that my updates will be a lot less timely. So I guess what I'm trying to say is... I apologize in advance for spoiling you all with near daily updates? Yes. That- I think that's what I'm trying to say.</p><p>Maybe.</p><p>But hey- that's like, a whole week away so why are we worrying? Right!?</p><p>As always, I love hearing from you- and thanks to everyone who left kudos! Here's a big, virtual hug for you all!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In the aftermath of Leo's attack on Camp Jupiter, one member of the crew is particularly unhappy.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Wow... one more chapter and then we're all caught up... time flies man. Time flies.<br/>Quick thanks to the guests who leave kudos on this story- the fact that you don't have an account but are still willing to leave a heart is incredibly heartening and I thank you for taking the time to smash that button :) And of course a HUGE thanks to everyone who leaves reviews and comments! After the week I had I am especially glad to hear from y'all.</p><p>The weekend is finally here- yay!!!<br/>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 19: From Bad to Worse</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His return to consciousness was slow. Much too slow for his liking. There was a pressure in the side of his head that hadn’t been there before, and he shook it vigorously from side to side as if that would dislodge the annoyance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sound returned first, ears picking up on the unsteady hum of the ships engines (the right turbine was spinning slower than the left for some reason), then sight; the endless expanse of blue skies tinged an off shade of the color as it was filtered through his polycarbonate lenses. Gradually, he felt the other systems in the ship reconnect themself to his central hub as he regained his full sentience: and with that sentience came a cold, singular fact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mechanic had </span>
  <em>
    <span>turned</span>
  </em>
  <span> him </span>
  <em>
    <span>OFF</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The clarity made Festus snap his metal jaw shut, teeth grinding as a hiss of steam exited one of the exhaust ports on his neck. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Never</span>
  </em>
  <span> had he felt this strong a rage; not even when his circuits had shorted out all those years ago, prompting him to hide away in the forest so as not to harm the godlings. But this? This was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>betrayal</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been turned OFF.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Intentionally</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The swell of emotion receded temporarily as an overload of incoming information bombarded his central processing unit. Festus instantly began cataloguing the messages by their level of severity: an overpressurization in the fuel storage unit would need immediate attention, many of the stabilizers had been damaged (</span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he didn’t exactly know) and the tandem synchrometer would need to be adjusted but that could wait. Six blown fuses indicated electrical shortages although none were related to critical systems, the right engine had suffered ingestion damage (ingestion of </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?) but was functioning within limits for now; he would have to monitor the rising turbine inlet temperature as they flew to ensure it remained out of the danger arc. The supply of ballistae ammunition had been depleted somewhat and would eventually need to be restocked with the reserve bolts they had stored down in the hull- which was currently underperforming in aerodynamic efficiency, hinting that the framework had been compromised in multiple places.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus compiled and categorized the list of repairs in under a minute, storing the information away in the back of his memory chip. With that out of the way, there was room for nothing else but his acrimony, which returned in full force as he craned his head around, looking for the one who had </span>
  <em>
    <span>turned him OFF</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He couldn’t see the full deck, however, the constraints of his position at the bow of the ship restricting his field of vision, so he reached out with his sensors instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were multiple people walking down the hallway on the lower floor, the one with the box-like compartments his mechanic had called ‘rooms’ during the ship’s construction. Two of them he recognized. They had been the ones who had ridden on his back when he’d still had a back to carry them on and wings to lift himself in the air under his own power. However, the light-footed one wasn’t truly walking, the godlings feet dragging along the floorboards as if he was being supported.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hooved one- satyr, his mechanic had called him- was stomping his way back towards the top deck, banging his curved feet against the metal in a way that made Festus’ gears whir (it had taken time to get used to </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> ones presence on the ship). A steady, sure-footed stance stood at the helm, the godling fumbling with the controls; she’d visited the bunker a few times to his knowledge, and her appearance never failed to upset his mechanic in some way. Festus didn’t like her. From the levers she was manipulating, it seemed like she was trying to correct the ship’s port slant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus snorted. The godling was very much not proficient with the ship’s controls. He reached through his connections, adjusting the necessary components to correct for the slight list in the ship’s forward tack himself. Hands retreated from the controls (</span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>- the Child of Wisdom had </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> business touching them) and after a hesitant moment, her footsteps descended from the bridge to the main deck where-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There he was</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gears in his jaw ground together as he felt the increased heat from where his mechanic sat, propped against the mast. The Child of Fire’s heel was bouncing against the floor rapidly, only stilling when the other godling reached him. Someone shifted and Festus realized there was a third godling on the deck- another new one that hadn’t been on the ship originally- one with a weighty stance that pressed deeper into the metal than the others. Disregarding the information, Festus returned his attention to his mechanic, snarling out a demand of reasoning for his betrayal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The snarl devolved into a cough of smoke as Festus realized he had some internal damages as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily, the Child of Wisdom was asking his mechanic much the same question. “One more time,” she said, voice tight and measured. “Exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A slight increase in the presence of heat told Festus that his mechanic had slumped back against the mast. “I don’t know.” The words were choked out after a beat of silence. “It’s fuzzy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean you don’t remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I remember, but it’s like I was watching myself do things. I couldn’t control it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The satyr had joined them, the clomping of his hooves audible now to Festus’ ears. He tapped something against the deck. “Look, kid, you blew up some stuff. You attacked some Romans. Awesome! Excellent! But did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to knock out the satellite channels? I was right in the middle of watching a cage match.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was that ESSENTIAL?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Festus whirred curiously as he brought up the list of repairs, noting that the damaged satellite dish had been categorized as</span>
  <em>
    <span> NON-ESSENTIAL</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He decided to bump it up to </span>
  <em>
    <span>NECESSARY</span>
  </em>
  <span> just in case. When he turned his attention back to the godlings, the satyr was retreating below deck once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Child of Wisdom was speaking again, calmly this time. “Leo, did Octavian trick you somehow? Did he frame you, or-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No-” Festus could feel his mechanic’s internal heat signature skyrocket on his infrared scanners. It was something Festus had noticed and come to understand about the Child of Fire over the time spent with him: his control over the element waxed and waned with his emotions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” he repeated, softer this time, voice tinged with a heavy air. “The guy was a jerk, but he didn’t fire on the camp. I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A low growl that was not his own emanated from where the heavy-footed godling stood. “On purpose?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Well, yes… I mean, I-I didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to.” His mechanic flustered, the words accompanied by a rise and fall of temperature where he sat. Festus felt his anger abate somewhat at how confused his mechanic sounded. “But at the same time, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt</span>
  </em>
  <span> like I wanted to? Something was making me do it. There was this cold feeling inside me and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A cold feeling.” The Child of Wisdom’s tone had changed yet again, sounding more wary and… scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence. It only lasted for a few seconds however as Festus felt the fluid gait of one of the godlings below deck approach. “Annabeth, we need you.” A voice yelled up from the stairwell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the call, his mechanic’s temperature flared, fingers trembling against the metal structure with an emotion Festus had easily come to know as worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Worry over the injured godling below decks, no doubt. The dragon himself had to admit he didn’t feel the need for such concern over the Child of the Sky. Festus’ lack of care was not borne from a place of malice, but despite having spent time with both him and the Child of Beauty, it had been the Child of Fire who had repaired his circuitry. Who had performed routine maintenance on his faulted components, who had refused to abandon him even as they had plummeted towards the God of Gold’s compound. Who had revived him as the figurehead of the most ambitious undertaking the Children of the Forge had ever embarked on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, the Chid of Fire, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> mechanic, was the only godling on the ship who warranted Festus’ unending gratitude and unwavering loyalty. Which is why it hurt all the more to know that his trusted friend had been the one to shut him down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mechanic was no longer sitting on the floor, having stood and begun a dialogue with the new godling. Counter to the friendly tone, his toes were tapping against the deck in a way that would suggest his mind was still on the wounded one, and with a huff of smoke Festus decided to check on the godling: if for no other reason then to prove to himself he was right and there was no reason to fret. Based on the readings from the EKG and pulse monitor in that room (each bed had one installed so that any room could double as a temporary infirmary: a suggestion implemented by one of the other Children of the Forge), the godling was stable, if still unconscious. In other words, he was fine. As expected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The echo of footsteps reverberated through the celestial bronze deck and Festus turned his head fully to stare at the two approaching godlings. Heavy steps stumbled back in surprise and a yelp was drawn from the lips of the new godling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alive!” He said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus snorted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How observant</span>
  </em>
  <span>. No wonder his gait was weighing into the ships floorboards- the godling who’d spoken bore a wide girth, resembling a build closer to that of the satyr. He smelled of smoke and iron- a Child of War, no doubt (Festus wasn’t exactly favorable to their kind at the moment, given that two Children of War had assaulted his mechanic only a month earlier)- and… and something else. Something ancient, not dissimilar to the other godlings, but slightly off from the scent he was used to smelling on his mechanic and the other Children of the Forge. Whatever it was made Festus’ dual sensory ports tingle, so he opted to ignore the strange Child of War in favor of leveling a glare at his mechanic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a droop in his mechanic’s shoulders, and he watched them lift minutely, as if he was going to laugh, before they sunk lower. His tone mirrored his stance as he said, “Yeah, Frank, this is Festus. He used to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>full</span>
  </em>
  <span> bronze dragon, but… we had an accident.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a lot of accidents.” The Child of War commented with no small amount of spurn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was brief, but Festus knew to look for it, seeing his mechanics face twist with a grimace, his heat signature lowering in shame before the emotion was covered up with a wry smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, some of us can’t turn into dragons, so we have to build our own.” The attempt at humor was half-hearted but the Child of War didn’t seem to notice. “Anyway, I revived him as the Argo’s figurehead. He’s kinda the ship’s main interface now. How are things looking Festus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A spark of residual anger flared in his wiring at the question. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What, not even an apology?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His mechanic had the grace to look ashamed as his gaze dropped to the floor. “You’re right, buddy, I-I’m sorry. I don’t…” He raised a hand and pressed it to the side of his head with a wince. “I don’t know what I was thinking. But I swear on the River Stix that I will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> turn you off again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hmm… It was a start</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Festus let out a huff, steam curling from his nostrils. His mechanic wasn’t completely off the hook, but the apology was sincere (even if he had to be reminded to give it). The dragon waited another moment to allow that to sink in before providing the list of repairs he’d compiled in order from </span>
  <em>
    <span>CRITICAL </span>
  </em>
  <span>to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Non-ESSENTIAL</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His mechanic listened astutely, nodding every so often and only frowning in disagreement when he heard that the satellite relay was included in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>NECESSARY </span>
  </em>
  <span>category.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh,” He groaned when Festus had finished. “Could be worse, but the hull is compromised in several places. The port aerial oars and the starboard engine have to be fixed before we can go full speed again. We’ll need some repair materials: Celestial bronze, tar, lime-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An alert from the anterior sensor made itself known to Festus and he turned his attention to the warning signal, fully prepared to readjust their course if monster activity had been detected. Instead, he saw that someone was following along below them, another godling perhaps? Whoever it was was moving fast, far faster than any normal mode of transport would allow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He said as much to his mechanic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Child of Fire frowned for a moment before his expression cleared. “Oh… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hazel</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She’s the one with the curly hair, right?” He directed the question to the other godling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is she okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she’s fine. According to Festus she’s following us, probably on that horse of hers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got to land then.” The Child of War said, his words issued as more of a command than request.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fetus’ gears whirred in a mocking laugh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Idiots, the lot of them</span>
  </em>
  <span>. First the Child of Wisdom, and now the Child of War. Anyone with even a </span>
  <em>
    <span>basic</span>
  </em>
  <span> grasp of machines could see that, with the engines compromised as they were, their next landing would be their last until repairs were completed. So why any of the godlings (aside from his mechanic, of course) believed they could command the ship with any semblance of expertise was beyond him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The problem is,” his mechanic said, echoing the dragon’s assessment in a less degrading tone than Festus would’ve opted for, “we can only manage the one landing. We wont be able to lift off again until I’ve had time to work on repairs so we’ll have to make sure we land somewhere with all the right supplies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Child of War scratched his head, looking confused. “Where are you going to get Celestial bronze? That’s not something you can just stock up on at Home Depot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus was already beginning a scan of the immediate area before his mechanic opened his mouth at ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He can scan for magic bronze?” The note of awe in the golding’s voice encouraged a smile from the dragon. “Is there anything he </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now Festus was practically preening at the praise. Okay. So maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> Child of War wasn’t as bad as he’d initially judged. Honestly, the dragon was partially offended that the other godlings didn’t appreciate his skills </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> (sans his mechanic, who always had a ready compliment for Festus and would loudly crow about the dragon’s general amazingness to the others at every chance).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Movement below decks. The fluid footsteps of the new godling were accompanied by the sure-footed footfalls of the Child of Wisdom as they made their way up from below. The stairs creaked as they reached the top, the two godlings making their way over to the bow where his mechanic and the Child of War still stood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mechanic’s temperature fluctuated again with worry at the sight of them. “Is Jason-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s resting.” The Child of Wisdom answered. “Piper’s keeping an eye on him, but he should be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rise of heat faded with his mechanic’s worry, only for the temperature to increase once more when the new godling took a step forward: this one smelled of salt and ocean spray, a Child of the Sea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Annabeth says you </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> fire the ballistae?” The words were harsh and direct, the accusation matched with a stormy green gaze directed at Festus’ mechanic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A low growl worked its way up the dragons throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, I- I don’t understand how it happened.” The Child of Fire stumbled over his words. “I’m so, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mechanic was afraid. If it wasn’t obvious from the spike of heat, the tremble in his stance and the hunch of his shoulders told Festus all he needed to know. And what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> was that the Child of the Sea was currently </span>
  <em>
    <span>threatening</span>
  </em>
  <span> his mechanic: an action Festus would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> stand for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a harsh grinding of his internal gears, the dragon turned and leaned as close as he could get to the Child of the Sea, snapping his jaw mere inches away from the older godling’s face. To his credit, the Child of the Sea was only marginally intimidated, taking a surprised half-step back initially before meeting the eyes of the masthead with the same stubborn, stormy glare. The dragons’ motion positioned him between the godling and his mechanic so that the celestial bronze plates of his neck curled partially around the Child of Fire in a clearly protective manner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy, Festus-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hiss of steam cut off his mechanic’s placating address, the dragon refusing to back down. This scenario was too much like what had happened a month ago: with his mechanic outnumbered and with no means of escape. That night, Festus had been powerless to protect the Child of Fire, his stationary position at the front of the ship hindering his range. But here, by the bow of the ship, Festus could intervene; and he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> sit idly by while his mechanic was threatened. Not again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea green eyes sparked with indignation at the aggressive posture of the dragon and the godling shoved a hand into his pocket with purpose. Festus himself felt his insides warming as he readied a jet of fire. Before either of them could act, however, the Child of Wisdom stepped in, stopping her fellow godling with an arm across his chest. Her grey gaze was focused warily on the masthead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s all take a breath.” She said in a deliberately slow, calm voice. “We can figure out what happened later. Right now, we have to regroup and make a plan. What’s the situation with the ship?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus waited until the older godling relaxed his combative stance, watching as the Child of the Sea crossed his empty hands over his chest, before moving out of the way. He kept a careful eye on the older godling as his mechanic relayed the list of damaged components, noting that the hostility in the Child of the Sea seemed to be receding- slowly, like the changing of the tides, but receding all the same. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A completed report of the immediate area passed into Festus’ mainframe as his mechanic was just starting to bemoan the shortage of Celestial bronze. Filtering through the data, Festus found that they weren’t far from a place that contained all of the materials they would need. He began </span>
  <span>plotting</span>
  <span> their </span>
  <span>new</span>
  <span> course as he relayed the information to his mechanic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Child of Fire sighed with relief, the tension in his shoulders lessening at the good news. “Perfect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s perfect?” The Child of Wisdom shifted her weight as she spoke. “I could use some ‘perfect’ about now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mechanic managed a smile; a forced one, but a smile nonetheless. “Everything we need is in one place.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He flipped down the secondary control panel from it’s compartment at the base of Festus’ neck. It was only a fraction of the size of the main control panel, with only a few buttons and levers used to manage the critical ship systems. His mechanic reached for the directional levers to change their current course, but his hand stilled before it made contact. It hovered there, an inch above the control, and it took a second for Festus to realize the appendage was shaking slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The most direct course is north by north-east.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>At Festus’ instruction, his mechanic flinched out of his hesitation, nodding as he manipulated the controls to correct for their new heading. He flipped the panel back into it’s hidden space, flashing a quick smile of gratitude up at the dragon before turning to the godlings once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Frank, why don’t you turn into a bird or something? Fly down and tell your girlfriend to meet us at the Great Salt Lake in Utah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Child of War nodded. Festus creaked in surprise when the godling morphed into a small avian creature- </span>
  <em>
    <span>he was a therianthrope!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He hadn’t encountered a godling blessed with such a power since the days of his early existence. Twisting his serpentine neck, Festus watch the godling-turned-bird descend with a twinge of envy. He could still remember the- albeit short- time when he too could command his trajectory through the skies with such a grace. Not that he regretted his current form, the power of his new split-spool engines propelled him through the skies at speeds faster than any wings could match. Still...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s a ‘throw-in-trope’?” His mechanic asked, drawing the dragon from his thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the Child of Wisdom who answered, her attention having followed the now departed Child of War. “A </span>
  <em>
    <span>therianthrope</span>
  </em>
  <span> is another word for shapeshifter. But they can only turn into beasts or other animals.” She watched after the bird for a moment longer before snapping her focus back to the Child of Fire. “How long until we land, Leo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good question,” his mechanic said, glancing at the masthead with curiosity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus did a quick calculation based on their current rate of speed and the remaining distance they had to cover. It would take a few hours to arrive- the decreased power output from the damaged engine was slowing them down more than he’d initially predicted, and the temperature of the exhaust gasses was higher then it had been before, meaning the problem was getting worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He said as much to his mechanic who relayed it to the other godlings in their perpetual game of telephone. Festus creaked his jaw. On the one hand, it was no small annoyance that none of the other godlings could understand him. On the other, he cherished the exclusive means of communication with the one who’d fixed him: it made the dragon feel like he and his mechanic shared a unique element to which none of the others could intrude upon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he’d informed the other godlings of the timetable, his mechanic turned back to Festus. “What’s the oil pressure in the right turbine looking like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus checked the gauge. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Still in the green</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lower than normal, but not critical yet.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm,” His mechanic rubbed his chin thoughtfully, brows pulled together in concentration. “Probably a fault in the thermostatic expansion valve, then. If it’s not getting cooled properly then…” the audible musings trailed off when the Child of Fire saw the other godlings were still present. He cleared his throat. “Uh, look, why don’t you guys go chill in the lounge while I see about the engine. I’ll tell Pipes to meet you there that way you can start planning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Child of Wisdom frowned for a moment, looking as if she wanted to say something. Ultimately she decided against it, shaking her head and turning, her hand tugging on the shirt of the Child of the Sea as a way to prompt him to follow. He did so, but not before leveling another scathing look at the Child of Fire, some unspoken message passing between the two godlings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they had finally disappeared below deck, his mechanic sighed out a wavering breath, running an unsteady hand through his hair. His eyes were closed as he took another steadying inhale, the air hissing past tight lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus’ ire towards the older godlings resurfaced. The dragon himself may not have approved of his mechanics actions, but he understood that godlings, like all creatures, were flawed, and that they all made mistakes from time to time. So while he was still upset about being shut down, he no longer felt the need to berate the Child of Fire for actions that had already passed. Unlike the other godlings: they continued to remind him of his failings and his mechanic did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> deserve such unbridled animosity from the ones he called his allies. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Especially ones so incompetant</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re not incompetant.” His mechanic rebuffed quietly, opening his eyes and glancing at the sky. “If anyone’s to fault it’s me. The engine’s messed up because </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> attacked the camp. They have every right to be angry with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words were stated bluntly, as facts, but Festus could feel from the way the Child of Fire’s heat signature decreased that the implication behind the words had a deeper impact on the young godling. He knew his mechanic was fireproof, but Festus was seriously considering sending a jet of flames at the Child of Fire anyway; if only to snap him out of the spiral of self-doubt he was currently falling into.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Regardless, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Festus creaked, feeling the need to stroke his mechanic’s internal fire, </span>
  <em>
    <span>they should not begin a quest of this magnitude with mistrust. Without you, none of them would be here. They are in the wrong for</span>
  </em>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, no time like the present. I’d better go see what I can do about that engine.” His mechanic said in a louder voice, cutting off the dragon as he stretched his arms above his head. The deliberate interruption was not made with malice, but rather unease, so Festus gave it pass with only a quiet grinding of gears in acknowledgement.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just don’t blow anything up this time</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mechanic blinked, then laughed. It was a genuine sound, and Festus whirred as he felt the warmth of the Child of Fire return to normal. “No promises.” He said with a wry grin as he began moving towards the stairway, adding, “keep me updated on our location, I want to be at the helm when we go in for a landing in case things go wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In other words he wanted to be there, wanted to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>with</span>
  </em>
  <span> Festus, working at his side when they brought the ship down.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus wouldn’t want it any other way.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Okay. Be honest. Did I trick anyone into thinking this was gonna be a Leo POV????</p><p>I mean, no one expected a Festus POV, right??? RIGHT?!?! It was so fun to write from the perspective of the animatronic and I have to thank my beta Ensis96 for the suggestion (Shameless plug: she's over on ff.net if you wanna check out her Harry Potter story 'Deaths true hallows' it's freaking amazing!).</p><p>I'll be working on chapter 21 this weekend so there should be two updates next week (if all goes well) per the normal schedule and from there we'll see how things go :)</p><p>Have a great weekend all!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The one in which Percy can't sleep and Leo refuses to, and Festus finds a problem with the engine.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>And here we are. The last chapter I've written up to this point. I'll be doing my utmost to finish up chapter 21 by Wednesday and after that I'll let you guys know what the new updating schedule is.</p><p>Have a great Monday!<br/>Please enjoy.<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry 20: Bygones</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy decided that, after three hours of staring at the ceiling, he would not be falling asleep tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Between the tar monsters (</span>
  <em>
    <span>Cedrus’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Annabeth had called them) and the nymphs, the Son of Poseidon was having a hard time believing they were well and truly safe. Not to mention they were currently </span>
  <em>
    <span>flying</span>
  </em>
  <span> through the </span>
  <em>
    <span>sky</span>
  </em>
  <span> which had never been something Percy- a demigod of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>sea</span>
  </em>
  <span>- felt comfortable doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, yeah. Sleep was not something he anticipated getting a lot of that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually he got tired of staring at the undecorated walls of his room and rolled out of bed with a resigned sigh. There were just... too many thoughts in his head that he couldn’t seem to quiet. Thoughts about the mysterious prophecy Ella had blurted out at the forum, thoughts about the Great Prophecy and what role he would have to play in it, thoughts about Nico di Angelo and how the Son of Hades had known about both camps (and why he hadn’t said anything to him when they’d met in Camp Jupiter).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just needed to stretch his legs, maybe get some fresh air. Percy had found that sparring- or any kind of physical activity, really- was an easy way to clear his mind, but he knew the others were probably fast asleep after the long day and he wasn’t about to wake them from the well-earned rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Walking will have to do</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought to himself as he tugged his worn pair of sneakers over his bare feet. The upper deck was fairly large, a perfect place to do a few laps in the crisp evening air. Not to mention that it would be good to get used to the slight rocking motion of the ship: Percy was well aware that getting one’s ‘sea legs’ (he supposed it would be ‘sky legs’ in this case) was always helpful when the next bout of fighting eventually broke out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His room was positioned towards the back of the hallway, one of the last doors before the rear set of stairs that led to the lowest floor of the ship. Percy heard a series of loud creaks and groans as he made his way towards the stairs, wondering if maybe the ship was in worse shape than Leo had let on earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s not that he didn’t trust the guy- well, okay maybe at first he had been a bit angry about the whole ‘firing on Camp Jupiter’ thing, but something told the older demigod that the hispanic’s actions hadn’t been intentional. It was just a gut feeling, but Percy was ready to let bygones be bygones. Still, the ship made far too many noises for something that the Son of Hephaestus claimed was ‘perfectly safe’. In the short time Percy had been aboard it seemed like something was always clicking or creaking or hissing; like some kind of nonstop background music.</span>
</p><p><span>The demigod paused just outside the door to the lounge, ears picking up the sounds of a wrestling match from inside the room. Carefully, he glanced around the corner to see the satyr- Coach Hedge, Annabeth had called him- snoring softly in one of the reclining chairs as the television continued to display the cage match. Percy smirked at the sight. The satyr was certainly a strange one, he’d declared himself the officially-unofficial camp counselor for their quest, and promptly demanded that he be given a megaphone (which no one had) and full access over the steering console (which both Leo </span><em><span>and</span></em><span> Annabeth had agreed was a bad idea). He’d also ushered everyone to bed after the whole</span> <span>‘escape from the nymph lagoon’ thing, warning against breaking the self-imposed curfew by hefting his baseball bat over his shoulder.</span></p><p>
  <span>Percy fully believed the satyr was willing- if not almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>eager</span>
  </em>
  <span>- to use it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either way, the old goat was out cold for the time being, so Percy slipped by, ascending the stairs as quietly as he could. The ship creaked again as Percy neared the top, his soundless footfalls accompanied by a rapid series of low clacks and long groans. Percy had come to expect the sounds from the ship, but what he did not expect was to hear someone speaking from up on the deck. The words weren’t especially loud, but in the silence of the evening they carried on the wind easily enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know I shouldn't blindly believe what a god says. But… it’s not like she said anything that </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> true. She certainly didn’t say anything I didn’t already know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last sentence was bit out with a bitter edge to it, and Percy drew up short as he reached the last step. Leo was standing by the main mast, some kind of tool held easily in his hand as he pried at something that Percy couldn’t see. The smaller boy’s hair was still greased back from he and Hazel’s encounter with Narcissus, the words ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Team Leo’ smudged along his forearms in a way that suggested he’d tried- unsuccessfully- to rub off the sharpie marks. He hadn’t even changed out of his clothes: the white collared shirt he wore in favor of the orange Camp Half-Blood one still stained with tar and peppered with holes and claw marks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That same creaking and clicking noise resurfaced and it took Percy a moment to realize the sound was an intentional one: not a sign that something was about to fall apart as he’d imagined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo sighed, reaching down with one hand to pull a wrench from his toolbelt. “It’s fine, Festus, really. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> fine. Besides,” he added, voice softening, “I can’t really blame them. If someone had fired on our camp I’d probably be just as mad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy remained frozen at the top of the stairs, which creaked again in that same deliberate manner. He felt suddenly uncomfortable, as if he was eavesdropping on some private conversation; though Percy had no idea who Leo was supposed to be talking </span>
  <em>
    <span>to</span>
  </em>
  <span> seeing as they were the only two demigods there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> my fault.” Leo continued speaking, oblivious to the new arrival, his tone shifting to have more of a hard edge to his words as he snapped the panel shut. “Trying to deny it won’t help anything, and besides, it’s not like I can just go back and change the past. But! You know what I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> change? The setting on your stabilizer’s tandem synchrometer.” He made a clicking noise with his mouth, pointing finger guns at the spot where he was working. “That’s right, baby! We’ll be flying straight as an arrow from here until Kansas!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tone shift caught Percy off guard: having changed from somber to overly optimistic in the half-second it took for the younger demigod to turn around…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… and see Percy, standing at the top of the stairway, watching him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His words halted, and the smile that had begun to stretch across Leo’s face faltered. Chocolate eyes widened with surprise and the kid’s posture stiffened in a way that made Percy frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even from the short time he’d spent with the hispanic, he knew Leo was usually a very relaxed person (except for his hands, which never seemed to stay still for any length of time). When they were fighting off the lake Nymphs, Leo had been (relatively) calm and controlled in his actions as he’d coaxed the hastily repaired Argo II into the sky. Even at the forum in Camp Jupiter, the kid had been nervous and fidgety, sure, but never stiff or scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something had changed since then, and Percy had a growing suspicion that Leo was somehow afraid of </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He just couldn’t fathom </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His query was all but confirmed as he stepped out onto the deck, seeing the younger boy’s shoulders hunch and his head duck slightly towards the ground like a guilty child who’d just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Despite the sudden tension in the air, Percy put on his most easy-going grin, sticking a hand in his pocket as casually as he could while he sauntered over, waving with the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo swallowed, a strained smile pulling the corner of his mouth up. He cleared his throat, but that still didn’t entirely get rid of the waver as he said, “H-hey man, what- er- I didn’t realize anyone was still awake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The irony of the statement almost made Percy laugh. Instead his grin just grew and he looked meaningfully at the other demigod. “I could say the same. From the look of things I didn’t expect anyone to openly defy the satyr’s curfew rule. That baseball bat looks pretty solid. And yet,” Percy spread his hands to either side of him, and he wasn’t expecting Leo to flinch quite as hard as he did at the sudden movement. Percy quickly dropped them back to his side as he continued, “and yet, here we are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here we are.” Leo repeated quietly, his hands fiddling with one of the straps on his toolbelt. “So, uh, why </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> you awake?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Couldn’t sleep,” Percy answered with a shrug, casting his gaze over the side of the ship and out among the dark expanse of the night sky. “It’s been a long day. A lot happened and I guess I’m still trying to wrap my mind around some things. Figured stretching my legs and getting some fresh air couldn’t hurt.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a flash of lightning in the far distance and Percy tried not to shudder at the thought of Zues watching him as a low rumble rolled among the clouds they flew parallel with. As if he didn’t have enough on his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, well, the deck’s all yours then.” Leo said, gesturing with a hand at the open space around them. Despite the clear invitation to leave and end the awkward conversation, Percy stayed where he was, looking back at the younger demigod and raising a curious eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you still up?” And okay, maybe the words had come out a bit more pointed than he’d intended them to. The Hispanic’s cheeks flushed and the arm that had been extended moved to the back of his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just getting a head start on the repairs.” He said, tilting his chin towards the starboard side of the ship. Percy’s eyes followed the motion to see a small pile of bronze oars stacked neatly by the railing. Even from a distance the Son of Poseidon could see that some of them were bent to an abnormal degree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“After all, we can’t have this bucket of bolts falling out of the sky now, can we?” Leo smiled, looking up at the sails as he tapped on the mast with the side of his wrench, the noise echoing through the hollow metal. Then he seemed to realize what he’d actually said, because a slightly panicked look overcame his features and he hurriedly amended the thought. “Not that- not that the ship’s in danger of falling out of the sky or anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy hummed in acknowledgement. “Good to know. I like not falling out of the sky.” He nodded towards the pile of parts. “Need any help with those?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo started at the question, staring up at the taller demigod with no small amount of bewilderment. Then the mechanic frowned, like he hadn’t heard Percy properly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After another moment, Leo seemed to snap himself out of his shock. He shook his head at the offer. “Nah, it’s cool. Besides, I just finished re-calibrating the tandem synchrometer to account for the reduced number or oars on the…” Leo trailed off at the blank look Percy was giving him. With a huff that sounded like he’d encountered this problem before, he clarified, “those oars were broken and causing the ship to rock. I took out the oars and adjusted the tande- mechanism that makes us fly straight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So the rocking wasn’t intentional?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s gaze dropped to the floor as he twisted the wrench in his hands. “No. It wasn’t. But it should be fixed now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy recalled the words he’d overheard and smirked. “Straight as an arrow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo snorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ship creaked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only this time, it was coming from the bow. Percy leaned around the mast to see the dragon figurehead looking right back at him with it’s beady red eyes. When he’d first seen the dragon move, Percy had been simultaneously surprised and impressed. Having a moving dragon at the bow of this ship was pretty badass. Of course, he had no idea how Leo was controlling which direction it moved, or when it released steam from it’s nostrils like it was doing now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just chalked it up to mechanical ingenuity and left it at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which was why Percy was caught off guard when Leo leaned around the other side of the mast, looked directly at the dragon, and said. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> arrows don’t technically fly straight, Festus. It’s just an expression.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy’s gaze waffled between the mechanic and the dragon, the latter of which whirred again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo rolled his eyes. “No- not- ugh, nevermind. Remind me to upload some basic idioms into your circuits when we get back to the Bunker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you guys… talking to each other?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Leo and the masthead turned to look at Percy. Leo tilted his head as if the answer to that was obvious. “Who else would I be talking to? Myself? I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> crazy... at least, not yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy scratched at his head. “But I thought… I thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> were controlling that thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The masthead snorted and Leo’s eyes sparked slightly at the comment. “That </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> is named Festus, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> just so happens to be a completely self-sentient animatronic </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one piloting the ship at the moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Percy looked back at the living metal with a newfound appreciation. “That’s pretty cool.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again, the Son of Poseidon’s words were met with a strange reaction. The drag- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Festus</span>
  </em>
  <span> raised his head so that the curve of his jaw resembled that of a smile as gears whizzed in what Percy could almost describe as ‘happy’ if he had to put a name to the sound. Meanwhile, Leo leaned back, the intense look fading from his eyes to make way for that same bewildered expression from before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Leo blinked. “Y-yeah, Festus </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> pretty cool. Oh, don’t you go getting a big head- I say that all the time.” He added, glaring at the masthead when the dragon whirred again. When it became clear that the animatronic wasn’t listening, Leo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Now look what you’ve done- you realize he’s gonna be expecting more compliments now that someone else has recognized how awesome he is, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy could tell that the words were meant as a joke, and Leo’s posture had eased noticeably since he’d first come up on deck. The smaller demigod leaned back with a soft smile, eyes crinkled at the corner as he looked on fondly while Festus continued to preen. It was the most authentic smile Percy’d seen from the kid since they’d met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment was over far too soon as Leo stretched his hands above his head with a grunt. “Alright, alright, I get it Festus, you’re the best dragon there ever was. Now can you please just run the diagnostic stabilization test? I’ll take the oars down to the storage room and when I’m done I wanna know if the synchrometer needs any more adjustments, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus creaked and Leo nodded in satisfaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” He then glanced over to Percy. “Like I said, deck’s all yours, Aquaman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy frowned. “Aquaman?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, the tension returned in full measure. Shoulders tensed as Leo rubbed the back of his neck, eyes slipping sideways. “Well, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> a child of the sea god, and Piper said Annabeth told her you could talk to dolphins? Or something like that? So…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah…” So that’s where the nickname had come from. Honestly, Percy didn’t mind it so much; it was much less insulting than the occasional ‘Seaweed Brain’ that Annabeth would throw his way. Then again, the latter was one that had become more endearing over the past few years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway- have a good night.” Leo concluded hesitantly in the silence, moving away from the center of the ship and towards the oars.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy watched him as he leverd three of the large bronze beams over his shoulder, stumbling back a step and windmilling his free arm for a brief moment before catching his balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he had to sum up the younger demigod in a word, Percy would’ve had to use the term ‘harmless’. Sure, Leo had fired on Camp Jupiter with the ships’ weapons. But the kid himself was pretty unimpressive, all things considered. He wasn’t muscular like Frank, he didn’t have the same charisma and charm as Piper (although his jokes did draw the occasional laugh), and he wasn’t terribly smart in the way of tactics, like Annabeth. He was adept at operating the ship, which itself was essentially a war machine, but Leo himself? Percy would be hard pressed to find anything intimidating about the scrawny mechanic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy was just about to turn and make his way towards the other end of the ship when Festus snapped his jaw, creaking urgently. Leo turned at the sound, a pinch forming between his brows as he listened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fuel pressure? Are you sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus clicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the EGT in the right engine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pregnant pause as the dragon went silent for a few seconds. Then Festus creaked out an answer with a sharp grinding of gears. Leo’s eyebrows shot up, disappearing beneath his hairline.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Seventy </span>
  </em>
  <span>degrees lean of peak!” The oars crashed back to the deck as Leo dropped them, rushing over to the side of the ship and leaning over to railing to stare back at the aft section of the boat. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mierda</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>esto es malo</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy jogged over. “What? What’s going on?” He looked over the side, seeing the low red glow of the engines exhaust but nothing else that would be overly concerning. There was no fire. No smoke pouring from the back of the ship. Nothing to warrant the fear that tinged the words of the younger demigod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of answering him, Leo pushed away from the railing, taking the steps two at a time up to the quarterdeck. He glanced over the control console for a split second, hands hovering over the controls before calling out, “Festus! Close the shut-off valve from the right side fuel tank and apply power to the emergency pump, I’m gonna open the transfer lines from the left system.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While he may not know exactly what had Leo in such a panic, the word ‘emergency pump’ was something Percy didn’t have to be a mechanic to understand. “What’s wrong with the engine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span> with the engine.” Leo answered as he adjusted the controls. “We’ve lost pressure in the right fuel lines and the exhaust temperature skyrocketed for some reas-” His hands stilled for a moment and Leo frowned, eyes darting between the gauges. Then his face paled. “Oh… oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>esto no est</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>á</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> bien</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s not good?” Percy asked for the third time, recalling what little Spanish he’d learned in school to translate Leo’s words. He didn’t know what the heck an ‘esto’ was, but ‘no esta bien’ was one he recognized- if not because his teacher would say that about his homework more often than not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No time to explain-” Leo said, already moving back down the stairs and making for the lower decks. “Gotta stop the fuel chamber from exploding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he was gone. Leaving Percy alone on the deck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, that’s a good joke.” Because it had to be. There was no way someone could so casually announce that a part of the ship they were all essentially living on was about to blow up. His eyes slid over to Festus, who was staring right back with his unblinking gaze. “He… </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> joking, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dragon simply stared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay… so, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hopefully</span>
  </em>
  <span> that was a joke. Percy didn’t exactly speak creak and squeak. But just to be sure, Percy hurried to follow after the mechanic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His footfalls pounded down the hallway, his earlier caution against waking the satyr forgotten as Percy hurried to catch up to the other demigod. Leo practically jumped down the second set of stairs leading to the lower floor, and as Percy followed suit, he could hear the muted rumbles from the bowel of the ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy rounded the last step just in time to see Leo yank open the door to the engine room. A burst of steam immediately plumed out of the entrance, obscuring the younger boy from view. From somewhere within the cloud, Percy heard Leo yelp, followed by a dull </span>
  <em>
    <span>thud</span>
  </em>
  <span> as the door was slammed back shut, cutting off the rising vapor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo stumbled back from the door, arms waving in front of his face to disperse the steam cloud. His clothes and forearms were coated with small beads of water that glinted in the artificial lights hanging above them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn it-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” Percy asked, looking from the door to the demigod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Came the immediate answer, the mechanic huffing in annoyance as he watched the remaining steam disperse. “I’m fine, I was just… I was…” Leo’s brows pulled together and he blinked a few times. “I was down here for a reason…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ship clacked a few times in what Percy now realized was Festus’ way of talking (although what he was saying and how they could hear it all the way down here, the Son of Poseiodon was still in the dark about), and whatever he said only made Leo’s frown deepen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Percy could ask, Leo ran a hand across his forearm, unable to hide a pained grimace as he did so, raising the appendage to his nose to give it a quick sniff- only to immediately jerk back, away from the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit</span>
  </em>
  <span>-” Leo hissed, rubbing his hand off on his trousers with frantic swipes. He then did the same with his arms, pulling out a rag from his toolbelt and dabbing at the exposed skin. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Joderme</span>
  </em>
  <span>- why did it have to be the </span>
  <em>
    <span>water</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy took a step towards the younger demigod, about to ask what exactly was going on, when brown eyes flicked up at the motion and widened with fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay there!” Leo cried, flinging out a hand to warn Percy back. He then directed his voice upwards. “Festus, activate the ventilation system in the engine room and lower deck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a creak as the fans turned on, and only when the last of the lingering steam cloud vanished did Leo lower his arm, a breathy sigh slipping from his lips. “That could’ve been bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span> could’ve been bad? What was that all about?” Percy asked, channeling his ‘senior camper’ voice. He was tired of not knowing what in Hades was going on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo winced, shoulders hunching slightly. “One of the lines that carries fuel to the mixer leaked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” That sounded decidedly bad, but that still didn’t explain the panic he’d seen in the younger demigod’s eyes. “So then why all this?” Percy gestured towards the vent which had since turned off. The vent inside the engine room was still running, the noise audible even through the thick metal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo, who had begun to roll down his sleeves and pant legs, raised an eyebrow and looked at Percy like </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the one who wasn’t making sense. “Well I wasn’t about to let you walk into a vapor cloud of Lethe River water, now was I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy blanched, “That was- hang on- </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> is the fuel made of water from the River Lethe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The memory of his time in the Underworld rose, unbidden from Percy’s memory. Suddenly he could see Thalia and Nico crossing under the dark waters as he struggled to hold the river up. He could feel the water fighting his control, felt himself falter as his strength gave out and the River of Unmindfulness came crashing down, felt the dark liquid trying its best to wash away his thoughts, his memories, who </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A shudder rippled through Percy’s shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo seemed oblivious to the older demigod’s brief trip down memory lane, too busy pulling out a thick set of work gloves from his toolbelt. “The properties of the water when it’s vaporized enhance the fuel.” He said in a matter-of-fact way, strapping on a thick pair of goggles and wrapping a bandana around his nose and mouth to complete the crude Hazmat suit. “How’re we looking Festus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ship groaned and clicked, and Leo nodded, moving over and reaching for the door handle again. It slid to the side on well-oiled tracks, no steam cloud billowing out this time. Leo took a deep breath and moved inside, Percy hesitating only for a brief second before doing the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a moment over the sound of the vent and the general rumbling of the engines, but soon Percy heard a soft </span>
  <em>
    <span>plunk-hiss</span>
  </em>
  <span> noise. It was methodical, like the ticking of a clock, and Leo had already gravitated towards the source of the noise. Looking over, Percy saw that one of the metal pipes was leaking. As he watched, another drop of water fell, landing on the pipe below it where the liquid instantly vaporized into a puff of steam. Leo glanced from his watch to the drip, softly counting aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stayed there for a while, allowing time for the older demigod to take in his new surroundings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engine room was… complex. Hoses and pipes ran the length of every wall, some even snaking across the floor in what Percy was sure counted as a tripping hazard. The near wall was covered in cubbies of varying sizes, pieces of spare hosing and spindles of wire peeking out from over the edges of each box. Sheets of celestial bronze were stacked along the floor in small piles. On the far side of the room were five large, cylindrical columns with ovular glass panes bolted to the front. Inside each one was some different colored substance- neon green, coal black, deep blue, burnt orange, and an almost translucent white.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pushed into the corner, seemingly like an afterthought, was a narrow workstation and a thin folding cot covered with all manner of parts and pieces Percy would be hard pressed to name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bolted to the wall above it was a metal plaque with the words “Crew of the Argo II” etched in the center, two dozen names scratched on the surrounding surface; and one rough sketch that closely resembled the Argo II’s dragon masthead. Three pictures were taped on the wall next to the plaque. One showed a wide-eyed, slack-jawed Leo standing next to a dark-haired girl, his hand positioned awkwardly on his head. Another showed the same girl with a big pink bow in her hair and a murderous look in her eyes as she stared down whoever was behind the camera. The last showed a slightly older version of Jake Mason- the demigod who had taken over for Bekendorf when Percy had been at camp- sleeping on the floor next to the same cot Percy now stood besides, the blond cuddling with a toolbox as drool pooled besides his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, that’s not as bad as I thought.” Leo said, drawing Percy’s attention back to the problem at hand. Leo’s hand trailed the length of the pipe, coming to a junction with a handle which he promptly twisted ninety degrees. That done, he pushed the goggles up onto his forehead, sliding the makeshift mask down to hang loosely around his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like the pressure line’s just been bleeding slowly over time.” The mechanic seemed to be talking more to himself than to Percy as he continued, “Go ahead and shut down the vent, Festus.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus obliged with a creak, the droning sound of the vent ceasing as Leo pulled off his gloves and began rolling his sleeves back up; paying absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> attention to the other demigod in the room. The demigod who, by all accounts, still considered the words ‘leaking pressure’ to be more than a little concerning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…” Percy cleared his throat, “we’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> in danger of blowing up, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo looked over and stared, confusion flitting across his face for a split second- like he couldn’t figure out why Percy was still here- before he shook it off and said, “Oh, yeah, we’re fine. I mean, it was only the Lethe water, thankfully. I can handle it from here, man. I mean, if that had been the Greek Fire line, it’d be a totally different story, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Greek Fire?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Percy’s gaze darted to stare at the containers again, seeing the flickering jade substance for what it truly was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The alchemical concoction was easily one of the most deadly substances he knew of: the fire could eat through solid stone and metal like it was tinder soaked in gasoline. The brief thought of ‘how is it being contained in that cylinder?’ flitted through Percy’s mind only to be replaced by the stark fear of what would happen if- as Leo said- it somehow leaked into the rest of the ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He amended his earlier thought- Leo was the most dangerous person on this ship. A ship that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> safe by any sense of the word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> are you using Greek Fire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo barely spared a glance up at him, saying, “Because it’s the only thing hot enough to vaporize the Lethe Water.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Percy swore that, by all the </span>
  <em>
    <span>gods</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Leo sounded completely serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you realize how </span>
  <em>
    <span>dangerous</span>
  </em>
  <span> that is?” Percy shouted, barely registering that his raised voice caused the younger demigod to flinch back a step. “If that stuff gets out, not only will it eat through the ship, but have you even considered what it would do to </span>
  <em>
    <span>us</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Not everyone is fireproof like you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy realized then that he’d never heard Leo shout before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, the kid was loud when he talked and joked around, but when he shouted there was a harder edge to his words. An edge them that cut Percy off and almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>dared</span>
  </em>
  <span> him to interrupt the other boy. His eyes blazed with an emotion Percy couldn’t quite describe: it wasn’t exactly anger, but more like… frustrated exasperation? But there was also a weariness in them that made his next words sound heavy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> it’s dangerous.” Leo repeated, hands clenching and unclenching by his side. “Why do you think we installed safety measures?” He gestured up at the now-silenced vent and then something else among the mess of pipes that the Son of Poseidon didn’t recognize. “The vents, the fire suppression system, </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>of it was put in because we </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> how dangerous the fuel components are. If we could’ve used anything else, we would have: but it takes a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of energy to keep something this large airborne twenty-four seven. Nothing’s meant to fly forever. And I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Leo ran a hand through his hair, looking away from Percy, eyes fixating on the plethora of indicators along one of the walls, “it’s not ideal. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> we should’ve found… I dunno, another way? But we were running out of time, and nothing else we tried was able to produce the same power output so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo words trailed off and he sighed heavily. All at once, it seemed like the emotions roiling in his eyes just evaporated; faster than the Lethe Water. His shoulders slumped, baggy eyes closing as he pinched the bridge of his nose with a grimace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked tired. In that moment, Percy was struck with just how </span>
  <em>
    <span>young</span>
  </em>
  <span> Leo was. The kid couldn’t have been much older than Percy was when he’d first arrived at Camp Half-Blood. The images of the three pictures hanging above the cot returned to his mind and the Son of Poseidon realized that the childish prank-like pictures were just that: childish. And yet, here Leo was, standing in the heart of a ship any experienced mechanic would call a marvel, partaking in a quest that even the most experienced demigods would hesitate to join.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> I messed up back at the Roman Camp.” The words were hollow, but his brown eyes were filled with disgust. An anger that Percy quickly realized was directed inward, as Leo continued speaking in Percy’s extended silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still don’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> I did it, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> what I did was wrong, and I really </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry. A-and I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying</span>
  </em>
  <span> to make thing’s right and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it’s not enough, but I’m just-” Leo cut off the thought, eyes closing and lips pressing together in a thin line before he finally said. “I’m just one person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something told Percy that wasn't what the younger demigod was initially going to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Festus’ creaks reverberated through the room, the sound seeming to snap Leo out of his thoughts. The Son of Hephaestus blinked, eyes flicking to Percy’s and cheeks darkening in shame before he deliberately turned away from the other demigod and towards the faulty pipe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Festus, I’m working on it now.” Leo pulled out a pair of wrenches, placing them on the fitting and pausing. His shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath, and when he spoke, Percy was surprised that the words were directed at him this time. “Look, man, I- I didn’t mean to yell at you, I’m sorry. It’s not your fault that- I mean, they’re valid concerns,but this… I need you to trust me when I say I wouldn’t allow anyone to be on the Argo if I thought it was unsafe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy found himself reevaluating his view of the younger demigod for the third time that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo wasn’t harmless. With the right tools and equipment, the Son of Hephaestus could create weapons that any Ares kid would be eager to get their hands on. Leo wasn’t physically strong, but he had shown time and again that he possessed a determination and willpower rivaled by few heroes. Leo wasn’t charming or charismatic. He was emotional, and he felt everything to its fullest, be it joy, anger, or even fear. Leo was not tactically intelligent, and yet, he knew everything about the ship they were currently flying on- even designed most of it, from what Annabeth had told him when she’d been recounting her time during the months Percy’d been gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was also trying to apologize for something he had no reason to be sorry for. Something Percy had instigated with his own lack of trust in his fellow demigod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right.” Percy said. “I shouldn’t have doubted you, I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mechanic’s hands- which had been detaching the line- stuttered to a halt, one of the wrenches slipping off of the fitting. Leo looked over at Percy and his eyebrows had shot into his hairline. “Uh… i-it’s fine. You had every reason to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t excuse it.” Percy shook his head. “But thanks anyway. So- how can I help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, the wrench slipped entirely from Leo’s grip, clattering to the floor with a echoing </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘clang’</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Leo’s lips had parted slightly as he stared, his expression caught somewhere between insulted and grateful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the life of him, Percy couldn’t figure out why the smaller demigod seemed so surprised by the offer for help. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Unless… unless he’s been doing all of the maintenance on the Argo II alone? But, no- that couldn’t be right</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Percy thought with a mental shake of his head. Surely Leo wasn’t the </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> one repairing the ship. He must’ve been getting help from Jason, or Piper, or, hell, surely </span>
  <em>
    <span>Annabeth</span>
  </em>
  <span> wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn about what made the skip fly. Maybe it was just because it was Percy who’d asked- after all, they did </span>
  <em>
    <span>barely</span>
  </em>
  <span> know each other aside from basic introductions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I guess if you really want to help you can take off the clamps?” What should’ve been a statement came out as more of a question, as if Leo was asking Percy if he was being serious about helping. Then he cleared his throat, “Really, though, this is a quick fix, so it won’t take long for me to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are the clamps just screwed in?” Percy interrupted, moving to inspect the fasteners. “Or is there some special trick to them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was quiet for a moment longer, still staring like Percy had grown a second head. Then Festus creaked and Leo blinked out of his stupor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, no, they’re just screwed in place. Here-” He held out a phillips head which Percy accepted, before bending down to grab the fallen wrench and return to loosening the pipe fitting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he reached for the tool, Percy frowned. “What happened to your arm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Leo’s own gaze travelled across the appendage, eyes alighting on the growing red mark that stained the top of his left forearm. The confusion cleared from his eyes and he shrugged. “Oh. That was probably from the steam when I first opened the door.” He pressed a finger to the reddened skin lightly, wincing slightly at the gentle pressure. “Nothing a quick sip of ambrosia can’t fix. Or aloe vera? I heard that was good for burns.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Burns?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “I thought you said you were fireproof?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo snorted at the comment. “Yeah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fire</span>
  </em>
  <span>proof. Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>burn</span>
  </em>
  <span>-proof. Hot steam still hurts. When you’re done with the clamps, I’ll need you to help me carry the tube over to the worktable.” He nodded towards the cot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing.” Percy agreed, beginning to loosen the screw holding the clamp shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Working on the ship was… actually pretty nice, the methodical motions and slight dexterial skill needed to manipulate the tool properly becoming somewhat soothing after a time. Once in a while, Festus would relay something down to them and Leo would respond, directing the dragon through a procedure while his hands continued to work on the pipe. When it was finally free of it’s mount on the wall, they carried it over to the workbench where Leo began changing out the damaged connector.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hand me that MS sleeveless fitting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy frowned at the compartmentalized parts, none of which had any labels. “Uh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The blue one, second from the top, far right.” Percy could hear the amused smile in Leo’s voice. He found the fitting, sliding it across the table where Leo snatched it up and began reattaching it. “Thanks, Percy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What. No ‘Aquaman’?” The Son of Poseidon smirked, sitting down on the cot and watching Leo work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fitting was fumbled between long fingers and Leo snapped his head up, a guilty expression stealing across his face. “Sorry, I- nicknames are kind of something I do to help me remember people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy smiled easily, leaning back against the wall. “It’s all good. I kinda like that one- it’s better than ‘Seaweed Brain’ in any case.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s grin returned. “Seaweed Brain? That’s not bad, actually!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Annabeth seemed to think so too when we first met.” He said with a roll of his eyes. They completed their aerial loop just in time to see Leo’s soldiers tense slightly at the utterance of his girlfriend’s name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, well, I’ll just stick to Aquaman, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was something there that Percy was missing. Something in the way the younger demigod’s tone had shifted, something in how the smile wavered on his face. But the engine room was warm and Percy’s mind was relaxed from the motions of removing the clamps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His jaw opened in a yawn, his mind idly wondering what time it was. It had been past midnight when he’d finally decided to get up and move, and he and Leo had been up for at least a half-hour… maybe more? The older demigod couldn’t tell down in the engine room. There were no windows or clocks with which to tell the passage of time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo noticed the yawn, a crooked smirk tugging at his lips. “Get some shut eye, Aquaman. The repair’s gonna take a minute and I’ll wake you if I need help to put it back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That sounded like a wonderful idea to Percy, and it didn’t take long for his eyes to slide shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he woke, the first thing Percy realized was that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> in his room. He pushed himself up from the horizontal position he’d found himself in, hearing the cot creak below him. A blanket identical to the ones in their individual rooms slid from his shoulders as Percy wiped the sleep from his eyes, the pillow under his hand soft as it compressed under his weight. The Son of Poseidon yawned, stretching his arms above his head as he glanced around the room, expecting to see the mechanic somewhere among the mess of pipes and gears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Leo was nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Oh Percy... he can be really dense sometimes. But we love him for it, can't deny that :P</p><p>I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter or the series so far :) Feel free to drop me a comment or critique down below!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Leo needs to sleep, Percy is being nice, and Annabeth has to stay behind to help fix the Argo II</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Whats this? An update?!?! SHE LIVES!!!!</p><p>Yes, sorry about that- I told y'all you were spoiled with my updates :P Sorry it took longer than planned to get this out but it's probably one of the longest chapters yet and I was NOT expecting it to take me this long to finish it out.<br/>But here we are, new chapter and a new month!</p><p>Please enjoy!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>Entry #21: Bypassed</b> </p><p> </p><p>Leo gasped as the water splashed his face.</p><p><em> Dios, </em> that was <em> cold! </em></p><p>It looked like Jake was right, the higher altitudes provided a much more natural means of cooling the Argo II’s water supply. Leo would normally smile at his half-siblings ingenuity and forethought, but instead he just shoved his cupped hands under the running faucet and flung the cold liquid at his face: As if the frigid water would somehow stave off the weariness that had settled in his bones.</p><p>With a heavy sigh, Leo leaned over the sink, bracing his hands on either side of the counter and closing his eyes as droplets dripped from his nose into the porcelain basin. The white noise of the running faucet buzzed quietly in his ears, silencing his thoughts for a brief second. A second in which the exhaustion he’d felt building up all throughout the previous night decided to come crashing down in full force. His shoulders slumped further.</p><p><em> Gods </em> , he was so <em> tired </em>.</p><p>Lifting his head from it’s bowed position took more effort than Leo would’ve liked to admit, the demigod looking into the mirror to see his disheveled reflection staring back at him. He… didn’t look that bad, if he was being honest. Sure, the ever-present bags under his eyes seemed a bit more pronounced, and even now he was struggling to keep his eyelids from falling to half mast, but other than that he looked perfectly normal.</p><p>His outward appearance belied the heaviness in his arm from working wrenches and tools nonstop since Utah, the stiffness in his shoulders from carrying broken oars from the deck down to storage, or the ache in his back from laying on the hard metal floor beneath the flight control closet while adjusting pitch links. His entire body twinged with sore muscles and unseen bruises and all he had to show for it was a pair of dark half-circles beneath his eyes.</p><p>Leo touched the skin under his left eye with a frown. Maybe… maybe he <em> was </em> part machine after all? That would explain how he was somehow still awake after pulling back-to-back all nighters.</p><p>Nyssa would’ve smacked him for that comment.</p><p>Leo allowed himself a wry grin. No, if his half-sister were here, Nyssa would’ve gladly found a wrench to knock him out with before dragging him to a bed. But she wasn’t here to babysit his sleeping schedule (or, lack thereof) and despite his best effort, Leo couldn’t seem to find a time to rest. There was always something else to fix, another calibration to adjust. Besides, that was his job as Captain Toolbelt, to fix the ship when it broke so that the others could get where they needed to go and do what they needed to do.</p><p>There was a sudden increase in gravity and Leo snapped his head up from where it had abruptly dipped down, blinking blearily at the mirror. <em> When had he closed his eyes? </em> He shook his head, splashing a third iteration of water on his face and slapping his cheeks twice for good measure. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d fallen asleep standing up, but it wasn’t something he was in a hurry to recreate.</p><p>Besides, he couldn’t fall asleep yet. They would be landing in Kansas soon, and Annabeth had wanted to have a quick team meeting before the ship set down. She probably wanted to go over the plan one last time, make sure everyone knew their roles.</p><p>Well, Leo knew his: Stay on the ship and continue with repairs. If this pit stop was anything like their last they would need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. And in order for them to do that, he would have to make sure the engines were well and truly back in tip-top shape.</p><p><em> Kind of makes me wonder why the others would even want me to be at the team meeting </em>.</p><p>The stray thought invaded his mind, and Leo tried to shove it down with a shake of his head. No. He was… he was one of the seven, so of course they wanted him to be a part of the planning and decision making. …Didn’t they? He looked at himself in the mirror again, seeing the hesitation in his own gaze, the uncertainty of the answer to the self-imposed question.</p><p>His reflection offered no answer at first, but when Leo started to dismiss the doubt, the Leo in the mirror seemed to sneer, lips twisting into an ugly snarl as it said, <em> “Why would they want you around? You just mess everything up. </em>”</p><p>Leo jerked back and away from the sink like he’d been shocked by a bolt of lightning, taking a step away from the mirror. He blinked hard, rubbing a hand over his eyes, but the face that stared back out at him from the polished metal surface looked equally spooked. His heart hammered loudly in his ears, chest rising and falling with short, quick breaths.</p><p>Okay…that was new. Hallucinations were <em> probably </em> a side effect of sleep deprivation. Either that, or he was finally going crazy. A chill raced up his spine and Leo shuddered. Maybe when they landed he would allow himself a quick half-hour power nap first and <em> before </em> finishing repairs on the engines.</p><p>It took a moment to get his breathing back under control, the demigod taking deep, slow breaths that still threatened to pull him into the realm of sleep. When his heart rate had stabilized, he reached over and turned the faucet off, grabbing the hand towel and dabbing at his face.</p><p>The others would be waking any minute now he realized with an abrupt change of thought, which meant Leo should probably change into a clean shirt. Leo glanced down at the apparel in question; It was the same one he’d been wearing since Camp Jupiter, and even to Leo’s own desensitized nose it was starting to smell bad. The normally white cotton having since become a spotted mess of dull yellows, deep browns, and one bright red streak from where a hydraulic line had leaked a bit. </p><p>With a new shirt and a quick spray of Febreeze, Leo headed out into the hallway, closing the door to the extra room behind him. Technically, it was <em> his </em> room, but the Son of Hephaestus had no designs of calling it that since he never really planned on using it. He was much more comfortable sleeping on his cot down in the engine room anyway.</p><p>The cot that Percy Jackson was currently occupying, as of last night.</p><p>Steady footfalls faltered at that.</p><p>Leo… honestly didn’t know what to make of the Son of Poseidon.</p><p>He had seemed relaxed and easygoing back at Camp Jupiter, and then after Leo’s fiasco with the weapons Percy had been rightly angry at him (something which, at the time, had reminded Leo of Annabeth’s own fierce accusation that fateful day at the Grand Canyon- maybe it was the reason the lovebirds got along as well as they did), but last night… last night had thrown everything Leo thought he knew out the window. He <em> still </em> didn’t know why the older demigod had apologized to him- <em> Leo </em> had been the one in the wrong after all, both for losing his temper and for what happened at the roman camp. Then Percy had gone and asked to help with repairs and Leo’s brain just  short-circuited because… well, because it had been <em> nice </em>. Percy had been given every reason to loathe Leo- to despise him for firing on his friends- and instead he’d offered to assist in replacing a fuel hose.</p><p>Leo didn’t understand that at all.</p><p>Of course, there was the very real possibility that entire conversation had been a hallucination as well.</p><p>He’d just passed Piper’s room when a thought struck him, and Leo backtracked a few steps, hearing the sound of movement from within the Daughter of Aphrodite’s room. Good, so she was already awake. After taking a few seconds to shape a smile on his face he rapped on the door.</p><p>“Yo, Piper! We’re landing soon.”</p><p>There was a pause from inside the room, then, “Landing?”</p><p>Hmm… so maybe not as awake as he’d thought, if the muffled, groggy question was anything to go by. He debated leaving it for later- what he had to say wasn’t all that important anyway- but Leo quickly decided to forge ahead: with everything going on he may not get a better chance to say it.</p><p>Still smiling, Leo opened the door, poking his head around the doorframe. He covered his eyes with his hands but deliberately left enough space between his fingers to see.</p><p>“You decent?” He asked.</p><p>“Leo!”</p><p>The indignant squawk brought a true grin to his face and Leo had to hold back a chuckle as Piper clutched her blankets to her chest- as if it would somehow hide the brightly colored print of her pajamas. “Sorry.” He said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. “Hey, nice Power Ranger jammies!”</p><p>Piper’s cheeks flushed in either embarrassment or anger. “They are <em> not </em> Power Rangers! They’re Cherokee eagles!”</p><p>“Yeah, sure. Anyway, we’ll be setting down a few miles outside of Topeka in a little bit, as requested. And um…” Leo paused, glancing down at the floor as he internally shoved away his sense of pride. Taking a breath, he continued, “Thanks for not, y’know, hating me, a-about blowing up the romans yesterday.”</p><p>Piper rubbed at her eyes, a small furrow creasing her brow. “That’s okay Leo. I could tell you weren’t exactly… yourself, at the time.”</p><p>The comment both warmed his heart and made the guilt churning in his gut swirl uncomfortably. Leo shifted in the doorway, swallowing. “Yeah, but still…” His voice grew softer. “you didn’t have to stick up for me.”</p><p><em> You shouldn’t have </em>. Leo winced at the unspoken thought.</p><p>“Are you kidding?” Piper’s tone forced Leo to raise his head, eyes wide with surprise. She was wearing a perplexed expression of her own but her words were earnest. “You’re like the annoying little brother I always wanted. Of course I’ll stick up for you.”</p><p>Leo’s cheeks heated as a warmth spread through his chest, his eyes dropped from hers. “Oh, uh… thanks?”</p><p>He hadn’t expected her to respond so easily, as if her actions defending him were completely justified. She really was one of the best friends he could’ve asked for.</p><p><em> One you don’t deserve </em>.</p><p>A sudden chill made him shiver, but before he could think on it, Coach Hedge’s voice echoed down the hallway from the upper deck. “Thar she blows! Kansas, ahoy!”</p><p>“Holy Hephaestus,” Leo muttered, rolling his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “He really needs to work on his shipspeak. I’d better go make sure he doesn’t break anything else.” He flashed Piper one last, crooked grin before closing the door and heading up on deck.</p><p>After checking up on the satyr and making sure that no, Coach Hedge did <em> not </em> accidentally activate the emergency landing process, Leo sauntered down towards the meeting room. He could hear the voices of his fellow demigods as he drew near, the quiet tones of morning greetings and conversations reaching his ears. He was the last one to arrive, seeing the other six situated around the large table that dominated the space.</p><p>Annabeth looked up from the head of the table, eyes glancing none too subtly at the clock on the wall before sending a slight disapproving look his way. But she didn’t say anything and so Leo opted to pretend like nothing was wrong because nothing <em> was </em> . He technically wasn’t late, since they’d never set an actual <em> time </em> to meet (and no… sunup did <em> not </em> count as a reliable measure of time).</p><p>Piper flashed him a smile which Leo returned genuinely, she was cradling a mug of coffee between her hands, sitting next to Jason who was casually leaning towards her as he spoke. Frank and Hazel were in the middle of a private conversation, the former glancing up to glare at him when Leo passed by. Leo swallowed nervously. He couldn’t exactly blame the guy for the open hostility- Leo had yet to apologize to the big dude for attacking his camp. He made a mental note to do that once this little side-mission was done. Percy was at Annabeth’s right hand, the Son of Poseiodon nodding at Leo with an inviting smile; like they were longtime friends or something.</p><p>Leo didn’t really know what to think of that, but he felt his features automatically mimicking the expression. “Morning, Aquaman. Sleep well?”</p><p>“Like a Child of Hypnos,” the older boy answered, “that cot’s surprisingly comfy.”</p><p>Ah… so then Leo <em> hadn’t </em> been hallucinating the events of last night. Good to know.</p><p>He reached the last empty chair and hesitated. He had the feeling that if he actually sat down, actually stopped moving for more than a few minutes, he wouldn’t be getting back up; eyelids already threatening to close despite his herculean effort to keep them open. Instead of using the chair Leo leaned against the wall, tucking his hands into the pockets of his toolbelt to search for something to fiddle with. His gaze roved over the others and he couldn’t help but notice how they sat in pairs, three sets of two.</p><p><em> You will always be the outsider, the seventh wheel. </em> Nemesis’ words rang in his head. <em> You will not find a place among your brethren </em>.</p><p>Her unspoken ‘<em> and you never will’ </em> lingered at the back of Leo’s mind, heedless to his intention to ignore it.</p><p>Annabeth cleared her throat, drawing the mechanic from his thoughts and silencing the other small conversations in the room. “Now that everyone’s here, let’s figure out what we’re going to do upon landing.”</p><p>Leo’s lips pressed together at the words, fully capable of reading between the lines: now that <em> Leo </em> is here, we can start. The most frustrating part was that Annabeth wasn’t even <em> wrong </em> , per say, he <em> was </em> the last one to arrive; yet he still bristled at the words. It wasn't like he had been doing anything important like keeping the ship from falling out of the sky, or anything.</p><p> But nothing productive would come of his childish whining of her underhanded insult so he didn’t say anything, staying quiet as the Daughter of Athena continued talking. He tried to focus on her words, he really did, but Leo had severely miscalculated how desperate his body was for sleep. Standing wasn’t helping nearly as much as he hoped it would, his head nodding every so often and causing Leo to jerk it back up with a small rush of adrenalin every time. Annabeth’s droning tones weren’t helping either, and even with interjections from the others, Leo had to fight to stay awake.</p><p>Only one person seemed to notice his struggle, Piper sending Leo a few concerned glances while the others talked. Her forehead was creased in that ‘I’m thinking’ way and that just wouldn’t do. Leo was hardly about to let Piper worry about him for something that was entirely <em> not </em> her fault.</p><p>He caught her eye the next time she looked over and glanced suggestively towards Annabeth, rolling his eyes to the sky and flapping his mouth in mock imitation of her speaking. Then he pretended to yawn, head nodding forward before he jerked it up again.</p><p>Piper had covered her mouth to try and hide her grin, shoulders shaking in muffled giggles.</p><p>Leo smiled. There, that was better.</p><p>“<em> Leo. </em>” The Son of Hephaestus winced guiltily at the sharp tone, meekly looking over at Annabeth. The Daughter of Athena looked wholly unamused, her narrowed grey eyes flashing like steel. “Are you even listening?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah, of course.” And if that wasn’t the most unconvincing thing he’d ever said. Clearing his throat, Leo elaborated, “We land the ship, you all go off and do your hero thing, and I stay behind with Coach to try and get the engines fully up and running while you’re away slaying monsters. That sound about right?”</p><p>From the frown on her face, Leo could guess that no, that was not at all what the Daughter of Athena had been talking about. Before she could say anything, Festus creaked above them, Leo instantly raising his head towards the ceiling as he listened to the dragon. Apparently it was time to land.</p><p>Smiling at the assembled group, Leo clapped his hands together, moving towards the doorway as he spoke with forced cheer. “Good news guys! We’ll be landing shortly! Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and all tray tables are locked in the full and upright position- thanks for flying Air Demigod!”</p><p>His antics had Jason smiling and Piper again holding back a chuckle. Hazel had this adorably shy half-smile curling at her lips and Percy was grinning widely. Frank just scowled, shaking his head, and Annabeth-</p><p>She looked like she wanted to murder him.</p><p>It was sad that Leo was able to identify that look. Since when did death stares become the norm? But as she drew breath to speak, Percy placed a hand on her arm. Annabeth frowned down at the gesture before raising a questioning brow towards her boyfriend, some kind of silent conversation passing between the two of them.</p><p>Percy turned to smile at Leo. “We’ll meet you up on deck in a minute.”</p><p>“Aye aye!” Leo gave a mock salute before slipping out of the room, the fractured grin falling from his face the moment the others were out of sight. Because just like that he had been dismissed. No one had called for him to stay and help plan- not that he would be much use in the half-asleep state he was in now, but still… <em> why </em> did it hurt so much? It felt like a tight coil of ice had gripped his heart, and Leo absently rubbed at his chest in some vain attempt to warm himself.</p><p>Heh- wasn’t that funny. The guy who claimed to always be hot was unable to get rid of a little chill.</p><p>Festus creaked again, this time in concern and Leo blinked, realizing he had already reached the top of the stairway. With a mental note to add sleepwalking to his growing list of skills (other recent additions included styling his hair with engine grease, making fake tattoos with sharpie, and firing on innocent demigods for no good reason whatsoever).</p><p>“Don’t worry Festus,” Leo suppressed a yawn as he spoke. “I’ll take a nap once the oil filters have been changed. I promise.”</p><hr/><p>Annabeth was a half second away from reprimanding the young demigod when Percy put a hand on her arm. She glanced down at it with a frown, raising questioning eyes to meet his. Those sea-green depths gazed back, eyebrows raised ever so slightly in a cautioning way. And despite the fact that she hadn’t seen him in almost a year, Annabeth <em> knew </em> that look. So she decided not to press the matter- despite every instinct to try and make Leo understand the importance of making a plan- and at Percy’s cheery dismissal, Leo left; but not before shooting a confused look at the Son of Poseidon.</p><p>The rest of them finished confirming the plans. Hazel and Frank would patrol the landing site, keeping their eyes out for Roman Eagles. Meanwhile, the rest of them (sans Leo and Coach Hedge who would remain on the ship to finish repairs) would go find Bacchus. It was a simple breakdown of individual tasks, and Annabeth found those to be the easiest to execute. She smiled at the others, watching them flutter out of the room and make their way up to the main deck, leaving just her and Percy in the meeting room.</p><p>He didn’t even give her the chance to ask, speaking before the Daughter of Athena had drawn a breath. “Take it easy on him, Wise Girl. The guy was up pretty late fixing the ship.”</p><p>Lips turned down in a frown, wondering if Percy realized that the only way he could’ve known if Leo was up late was if he too was up at the same time. Meaning he also hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. She felt a small surge of worry at the thought but pushed it aside for now- she knew firsthand that Percy didn’t need the full eight hours to be alert (Wanted? Yes. Needed? No.). Regardless…</p><p>“He still needs to take these things a bit more seriously.” Annabeth gestured to the room in general where the meeting had just adjourned. “Even if he’s not going this time, he might have input that could help us if he could stop making jokes for two minutes.”</p><p>Percy reached a hand up, rubbing the back of his head. “He would’ve spoken up if he did. Just- go easy on the kid for a bit, yeah?”</p><p>“I guess we <em> are </em> the adults in the group.” Annabeth sighed, relenting her position for now. “Time to start acting like it.”</p><p>“The… adults?” Now Percy sounded confused, tilting his head in her direction with that stupidly blank look of incomprehension that she found so endearing. “We’re not adults.”</p><p>Annabeth rolled her eyes, a smile turning up her lips despite herself. “Other than Coach Hedge, we’re the oldest ones on the ship.”</p><p>“So what, we’re automatically supposed to be the responsible ones? That’s… a bad idea. A <em> really </em> bad idea- and that’s even coming from me!”</p><p>“The king of bad ideas.” Annabeth agreed, her grin only growing wider when Percy pouted at the title. “Just think of it as practice.”</p><p>“Practice?”</p><p>“For when we have kids.”</p><p>And with that Annabeth left Percy sputtering in the mess hall, stifling giggles as she ducked into her room down the hallway to grab a few extra supplies.</p><p>When she returned to the deck, the others were already conversing. Percy was appalled at something Jason had said, pulling a face. “Whatever, man. Maybe he’d better on the Roman side. But why would he be hanging around in Kansas? Didn’t Zues order the gods to cease all contact with mortals?”</p><p>Frank grunted. “The gods haven’t been very good at following <em> that </em> order,” he noted. “Besides, if the gods <em> have </em> gone schizophrenic like Hazel said-”</p><p>“And <em> Leo </em> said,” added Leo from his position by the helm.</p><p>Frank scowled up at him, pointedly dismissing the interruption. “Then who knows what’s going on with the Olympians? Could be some pretty bad stuff out there.”</p><p>“Sounds dangerous!” Leo agreed cheerfully, fishing around in his toolbelt for something.</p><p>Frank slid the bow off of his shoulder and propped it against the rail. “I think I should turn into a crow or something and fly around, keep an eye out for Roman eagles from the air.”</p><p>“Why a crow?” Leo asked, a curious lilt to his words. “Man, if you can turn into a dragon, why not just turn into a dragon every time? That’s the coolest!” Festus whirred from his permanent position at the bow, sounding to Annabeth like the dragon was agreeing with his mechanic.</p><p>On the other hand, Frank’s face looked like it was being infused with cranberry juice. “That’s like asking why you don’t bench press your maximum weight every time you lift. Because it’s hard, and you’d hurt yourself. Turning into a dragon isn’t easy, y’know!”</p><p>“Oh,” Leo blinked, shrugging one shoulder. “Actually, I wouldn't know, I don’t lift weights.”</p><p>“Yeah? Well, maybe you should consider it, Mr.-”</p><p>Hazel stepped between the two boys and Annabeth was silently grateful. The last thing she needed was to play ref between two boys pining after the same girl.</p><p>“That sounds like a great idea, Frank,” Hazel said, shooting a dark look at Leo. The mechanic seemed surprised by the hostility, flinching back a step with wide, innocent eyes. “I can summon Arion and scout around below.”</p><p>“Sure.” Frank agreed, still glaring at Leo. “Yeah, thanks.”</p><p>Annabeth wondered what was going on with those three. The boys showing off for Hazel and razzing each other- <em> that </em> she could at least classify under ‘boys being boys’. But it almost seemed like Hazel and Leo had a history. As far as she knew, they’d met for the first time just yesterday. Annabeth wondered if something happened in the Great Salt Lake- something they hadn’t mentioned?</p><p>“Well…” Leo cleared his throat in the silence, looking distinctly uncomfortable. But he smiled down at them in the next moment all traces of unease wiped away. “You guys have fun. I’ve got to finish repairs on the engines and Coach Hedge is gonna work on the broken crossbows. And, uh,” Leo hesitated again, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Annabeth- I could really use your help. You’re the only other person here who even <em> sort of </em> understands electrical engineering.”</p><p>Biting back her instinctive snappy retort of ‘then why didn’t you bring this up earlier?’ Annabeth instead took a deep breath, letting it out as she turned to Percy.</p><p>She gave her boyfriend a tense smile. “He’s right. Looks like you’ll have to do this one without me.”</p><p>Percy’s grin didn’t match the anguish in his eyes at the realization they would have to split up. “We’ll manage. And I’ll come back to you this time, I promise.”</p><p>“You’d better.” Then, before she could think too long on it, Annabeth leaned forward, slipping her arms over Percy’s broad shoulders and pressing her lips to his.</p><p>He made a slightly surprised noise, an adorable high pitched hum, before he melted into the embrace; one of his hands carding through her loose hair to rest gently on the back of her neck. When he pulled away, his hand lingered there and the smile now reached his aquamarine gaze.</p><p>“Well now I’m definitely gonna have to come back.”</p><p>And no, Annabeth was <em> not </em> blushing, not in front of everyone. Nope. She wasn’t. In her periphery she saw Hazel fanning her face in that old-fashioned manner of embarrassment. Meanwhile Piper was practically bouncing, her lips pressed tight as if she could hide her smile of approval.</p><p>Okay, so maybe she <em> was </em> blushing a <em> bit </em>.</p><p>But hey- she was allowed that after everything she’d been through.</p><p>She waved them off from the bow of the ship, watching her recently returned boyfriend leave her. <em> This time he’ll be back </em>. She reminded herself, shaking off the nagging worry and reaching up to tie her hair back in a ponytail.</p><p>“Okay,” Annabeth said, placing her hands on her hips as she regarded the Argo’s resident mechanic. “What do you need me to do?”</p><p>It was strange, Annabeth thought, seeing Leo’s expression so serious as he detailed exactly what needed to be done. Gone was the timid, goofy young hispanic demigod. In its place was a clear-spoken Son of Hephaestus, Leader of Cabin Nine.</p><p>It was infuriating.</p><p><em> Why couldn’t he take things this seriously earlier? </em> Annabeth wondered silently as she made her way down to the electrical closet. Leo had assigned her the task of replacing some relays that had been internally damaged in the initial fight with the Romans.</p><p>The reminder of the short battle brought to mind another problem Annabeth had been mulling over, because try as she might she couldn’t imagine the Son of Hephaestus firing on the other camp without a good reason.</p><p>To be fair, she hadn’t spent much as much time with him as she had with the other two. Annabeth had immersed herself in research once she found out they would be going to the Roman camp. She had to study a whole new mythological pantheon, learning all she could about the mythos while helping prepare her fellow demigods for the trip. She’d gotten to know Piper and Jason well during the interim months between quests, training with them in her spare time, strategizing and mapping out their route to the Roman Camp, and learning about the younger demigods during mealtimes.</p><p>Piper wasn’t strong physically, but she had a vast well of mental fortitude and willpower that reminded the Daughter of Athena of how stubborn and headstrong Percy had been when they’d first met. She’d worked with the Aphrodite girl, helping her improve her charmspeak, and teaching her how to better utilize her dagger in combat. Piper had improved immensely, picking up on the nuances and finer details of swordplay surprisingly fast.</p><p>Jason was no slacker, either. His combat experience and different style of fighting was highly informative, and Annabeth enjoyed his easygoing- yet intelligent demeanor. He had a good head on his shoulders for the most part; a bit prone to overconfidence but the Son of Jupiter had enough humility to admit when he needed help. He would be a great leader one day.</p><p>And then there was Leo.</p><p>Annabeth bit back a sigh of frustration as she reached the electrical closet, unlatching the door as her memory of the few times she’d seen the mechanic rose to her mind. She remembered walking into the bunker to find him lounging at a workstation one day, absently staring off into space, a screwdriver tapping rhythmically on the metal table. The sight was frustrating beyond description, because not <em> only </em> was he not working on the ship, but he also wasn’t spending time learning to properly defend himself. Annabeth had observed what few training sessions he had attended during those months and… he wasn’t good. Not even close to grasping the basics warhammer forms let alone the more advanced maneuvers. He seemed to treat his favored weapon like the hammer one would use in a game of whack-a-gnome. No grace, no tactical thought, nothing. What was even <em> more </em> annoying was that Annabeth couldn’t even pull him aside to teach him herself, because Chrion had expressly forbid the other cabins from disturbing the Children of Hephaestus.</p><p><em> Which was understandable </em> , Annabeth reasoned, pulling out the instructions Leo had given her as she studied the broken components before her. <em> Since they </em> had <em> been building a flying ship from scratch at the time </em>. But the rule had been like a double edged sword; Leo’s constant attention on the ship denying him the opportunity to prepare for the quest in the same manner as the others. It certainly didn’t help that Leo seemed unable to grasp the gravity of their predicament, his attempts at humor only highlighting his inability to focus, his inexperience.</p><p><em> No </em> . Annabteh shook her head. <em> That wasn’t a fair assessment </em>.</p><p>After all, had she not just acknowledged his ability to prioritize maintenance tasks? Even now, as she used the tools he’d given her to remove the overloaded electrical relays, Annabeth couldn’t help but marvel at the precision of the ship they were on. Inexperience was clearly not a word she could associate with the Son of Hephaestus- at lease when it came to mechanics. The instruction manual she’d been handed were also surprisingly thorough;  the Daughter of Athena having not expected the scatterbrained hispanic to be able to convey the removal and installation procedure so coherently.</p><p>A sliver of doubt worked its way through her thoughts. Maybe… maybe she was being too harsh on the younger demigod. Leo was clearly <em> trying </em>, just not in a way Annabeth necessarily approved of.</p><p>Replacing the relays took a fair amount of time, the Daughter of Athena struggling to reach some of the deeper components that were situated behind pipes and scaffoldings. It was well past sunrise when she returned to the deck, the light warming her exposed arms which were laden with broken relays. Annabeth set the broken components down near the stairwell entrance, glancing around as she did. Coach Hedge was grumbling under his breath, one arm shoved into the base of the crossbow all the way up to his shoulder, baseball cap skewed slightly on his horned head. And Leo was… nowhere to be seen. </p><p>
  <em> Where was he? </em>
</p><p>Festus creaked, his neck craned around towards the right side of the hull.</p><p>“Yeah, this should be the last one.”</p><p>Leo’s voice drifted up from over the side of the railing, and the Daughter of Athena made her way over, doing a double take when she saw the mechanic.</p><p>“Uh… are you sure that’s safe?”</p><p>Tilting his head up to meet her eyes, Leo answered, “I mean, it’s just a bypassed oil filter- nothing too difficult to fix.” He answered, waving the white, cylindrical part in his off hand for emphasis.</p><p>“I meant <em> that </em>.” Annabeth clarified, gesturing to the rope tied around his waist. She couldn’t in good conscience call it a harness. The makeshift safety feature was fastened around a dented portion of the railing, and Leo had attached it to a loop in his toolbelt, bracing his feet against the engine so that he hung away from the metal frame like some kind of rock climber.</p><p>“Oh.” Leo studied the lifeline as well with a pinched gaze, blinking twice and rubbing at his eyes. Then he shrugged. “Well it worked back at the bunker, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work now. Did you finish with the relays?” He asked, switching topics as he took off the old oil filter to exchange for the new one.</p><p>“Yeah, I got most of them.” Annabeth said, moving a bit closer to the side of the ship so that she was within easy lunging range in case the rope slipped out of its knot. “There was one behind a large pipe that I couldn’t quite get to-”</p><p>“Yeah, that one’s a pain.” Leo interrupted with a roll of his eyes, tucking the old filter into a pocket. “But whenever we suggested moving it, Jake always whined about disrupting the integrity of the- whoa!”</p><p>Leo’s hand shot down to catch the falling filter, the new part having slipped from where he was working to install it. The metal railing groaned in protest as the tension on the rope increased, and Annabeth found herself moving to grip the waxy hemp, heedless of Leo’s earlier insistence that what he was doing was ‘safe’ (every workplace safety supervisor would’ve had a heart attack).</p><p>The knot held, and Leo quickly righted himself, shooting a short smile and thumbs up at her. Loosening her hold on the rope, Annabeth watched with a frown as Leo fumbled with the filter a bit before getting it situated. Once that was done he grabbed the rope, pulling himself back up onto the deck and untying the rope.</p><p>“See? Nothing to it.” He announced cheerily, his back to her.</p><p>Annabeth hummed in disagreement, but didn’t voice the opinion, instead saying, “What do you want me to do with the damaged parts?”</p><p>Leo didn’t answer for a moment, coiling the rope around his arm. After another ten seconds of being ignored, Annabeth cleared her throat. The mechanic’s head jerked up and around, eyes blinking. “Sorry, what?”</p><p>“The damaged parts.” She was unable to keep the exasperation out of her tone as she repeated herself. “Where do you want them?”</p><p>“Right,” Leo shook his head. “Right. There’s a compartment under the stairs to the quarterdeck, you can leave them there and I’ll see about fixing them later.”</p><p>Annabeth nodded, leaving to do so as Coach Hedge clomped his way over from the ballistae. The old satyr was scratching his head, nose scrunched and eyes darting from the crossbow to something in his hands.</p><p>“Hey Valdez- I think we may have a problem.”</p><p>“What’cha got, Coach?”</p><p>Annabeth tuned them out as she transferred the relays to the hidden compartment, taking a moment to admire how seamlessly the secret storage blended in.</p><p>“Dammit, Coach! Why the <em> hell </em> did you take that out?”</p><p>Annabeth whirled around at the shout, eyes wide.</p><p>The two had moved over to the ballistae, Leo crouched down at the base while Hedge stood off to the side.</p><p>The satyr frowned. “Well how was I supposed to know not to take that out?”</p><p>“Because it says it <em> right there </em> in the instructions!” Leo shouted, hands gesturing towards the set of papers beside him on the floor.</p><p>“Oh,” and the satyr actually sounded remorseful for once, “I didn’t see that. Sorry kid.”</p><p>“Sorry doesn’t take away the two hours of work you just added to the repair.” Leo snapped, and Annabeth could see embers flickering in his hair as he stood up. “The gears are cracked now so we wont even be able to-”</p><p>Just when Annabeth was about to step in and diffuse the situation, Leo cut himself off mid-sentence, raising a hand to his head with a wince. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.</p><p>“Sorry Coach.” He said after a moment had passed. “I- I shouldn’t have yelled at you. Mistakes happen, I know that, it’s not your fault the damn thing’s broken.”</p><p>The satyr, whose only initial reaction to being shouted at was a slight raise of his eyebrows, shrugged. “Not yours either, kid.”</p><p>Leo looked surprised by the words.</p><p>“But next time you yell, do it from the diaphragm, puts some emphasis behind the words!” Hedge slapped a hand to his stomach with a crazed grin. Leo’s own lips twitched up at the jest.</p><p>“Maybe there’s something else he could do instead?” Annabeth suggested, having moved closer to the two.</p><p>Leo still startled at her interjection, glancing at her quickly before dropping his gaze, cheeks reddening. The dragon masthead creaked and Leo looked up. “That’s actually a good idea, Festus. Coach, could you planish out the dents in the oars? Planish means to hit them with a hammer until they straighten out.” The mechanic clarified when the old goat had looked confused.</p><p>“Hit something with a hammer? Now you’re speaking my language, Valdez! Where are the oars?”</p><p>“Downstairs in the engine room.” Leo reached into his toolbelt, pulling out a wooden mallet. “You can use this.”</p><p>Coach Hedge took the tool, sniffing the wood and then licking it. His eyebrows shot up. “Mahogany? This is some good stuff, Valdez!”</p><p>“Don’t eat the hammer, Coach.” Leo groaned. “At least, not until after you fix the oars.”</p><p>“You got a deal kid.” The satyr agreed, but he still took a small bite out of the handle on his way down the stairs. Leo and Annabeth watched him leave. </p><p>“I’m not getting that hammer back, am I.”</p><p>“Nope.” Annabeth confirmed.</p><p>“Didn’t think so.” Leo sighed, turning back to the ballistae and studying it with a critical eye.</p><p>Annabeth looked over the weapon as well. “Is the damage really that bad?” She had never heard the other demigod get so agitated before.</p><p>Another sigh, heavier this time with a weight borne of shame. “Not really, but I don’t really have a lot of spare materials right now.” He reached up, hand over his mouth to cover a yawn. “But it’s not like I have a choice, without the rotary gear the base wont turn and it’ll be limited to vertical directional changes. Plus, with the way it’s pointed now we wont be able to angle it any less than sixty degrees or else it’ll hit the raised bow…”</p><p>Leo’s voice had grown quieter as he spoke, words muffling as it became clear to the Daughter of Athena that he was speaking more to himself than to her. He fell silent again, staring off into space with a vacant expression. Annabeth frowned, realizing just how unnatural it was for Leo to stop speaking- especially about his machines. There was a droop to his shoulders, an exhaustion in his stance that Annabeth hadn’t picked up on until just then. And now that she saw it the bags under his eyes <em> did </em> look deeper then they’d ever been before. </p><p>Percy’s words about them staying up late the other night came to mind and worry took root in Annabeth’s gut. Had… had Leo even gone to bed last night? Leo blinked again, only this time his whole body swayed with the action, eyes remaining closed for a few seconds before they opened again.</p><p>She placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying the younger boy. “How about you take a break for now.”</p><p>Leo didn’t seem to register the physical contact, a furrow pinching his brow. “But… the ballistae-”</p><p>“Can wait. I’ll take a look at it while you rest, see if I can’t get it working again.”</p><p>There was no response from the mechanic, not even a nod. He just stood there, staring at the weapon with glazed eyes. Then Festus whirred, and Leo inhaled sharply, blinking out of his stupor. The dragon masthead clicked again.</p><p>“You’re right, buddy, I <em> did </em> promise… alright, fine.” A tired gaze raised to meet hers and Annabeth wondered how she hadn’t seen the fatigue in their spark brown depths earlier. “But if you need anything, wake me up.”</p><p>“I’ll make sure I read the instructions.” She promised, watching him stumble over to a shaded area and sit down, back propped against the side of the metal steps leading up to the quarterdeck. Within seconds of closing his eyes the mechanic’s chin tipped forwards onto his chest which rose and fell in the deep measured breaths of sleep.</p><p><em> Go easy on him </em>.</p><p>Perhaps Percy had been right after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Next update probably wont be until the end of the month. My college is holding finals early due to the state of the world so I wont have much time to write for fun :( darn leachers and their HW...</p><p>As always, I encourage you to drop me a comment down below if you have the time :)</p><p>Until next time!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A week has passed since Leo and Co. left Camp Half-Blood, and back at home, Clarisse and her half-siblings are making good on their promise. What they didn't expect, however, is that Leo isn't the only one in Cabin Nine with fire in his heart.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Happy Holdiays to you all! I hope everyone had a turkey-filled Thanksgiving for those of you in the states, and for everyone else I wish you the best during the upcoming holiday season! Shalom, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, etc...</p><p>In the meantime, we're back with the next chapter of Leo's Logbook that I literally finished writing about an hour ago. Apologies in advance for any spelling mistakes, we die like men on this hill devoid of grammar.</p><p>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #22: Nine is Greater than Five</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harley, I think this might be your best idea yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smaller demigod flashed a quick grin her way even as his eyes remained focused on his task. Nyssa shifted under the cramped space beneath the porch stairwell, for once grateful for her shorter stature. She looked back down at her own assembled device, making sure it was positioned exactly as her younger half-sibling had instructed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And…. there! Done.” Harley sat back on his heels, wiping a hand across his brow and unintentionally smearing a streak of dirt on his skin. “It’s all ready to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect.” Nyssa’s smile was that of a wolf. “They won’t know what hit ‘em.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley snickered quietly as the two children of Hephaestus backed out of their hiding spot. The quickly fading daylight assisted in their escape, casting long shadows for them to slip between as they crept along the edge of Cabin Five. Not that anyone should spot them, seeing as most of the other campers were already at the dining pavilion for dinner. But it was better to air on the side of caution in Nyssa’s opinion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Especially when dealing with Ares kids.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cabin Five was an imposing structure, the wooden panels drenched in sloppy red paint and surrounded on three sides by a six foot deep ditch. A combination of wooden and metal spikes had been driven into the dirt just outside of the waterless moat to ward off trespassers; with victorious capture-the-flag momentos (some helmets, a few flags that swayed in the light breeze, and one stuffed and slightly burnt boar head) skewered on some of the spikes. That combined with the live landmines buried around the cabin and barbed wire adorning the ground was usually enough to deter anyone from trying to approach the cabin from anywhere other than the front entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The intimidation tactics might’ve worked too, if it had been anyone other than Nyssa breaching the fortified perimeter. Avoiding most of the landmines and disabling the ones they couldn’t had been childs play, and all Nyssa needed was a good pair of bolt cutters and some thick leather gloves to get past the barbed wire. Harley’s retractable ladder had made scaling the wall of spikes and crossing the ditch all to easy, and within minutes they had broken through the cabin’s defenses, gaining access to the compact space underneath the porch and stairs. Really, it had been almost disappointing how easy it was to break into Cabin Five’s ‘secure’ area. Nyssa would’ve thought the children of war would be better prepared for these types of guerrilla tactics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After all, they </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> at war.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse had indeed kept her promise to Leo. The moment the leader of Cabin Nine left with Annabeth and the others, Cabin Five had begun their attacks in full force. It didn’t matter to them that Nyssa and her cabinmates were still sleep deprived and sorely out of practice in matters of physical combat. The Ares kids had been ruthless in their payback, even picking on the youngest members of Cabin Nine without remorse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa rolled her shoulder at the thought, the taste of tiramisu still lingering in her mouth from the ambrosia she’d taken. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> the food and drink of the gods. What she did know was that when she felt the bones of her shoulder blade crack from a particularly nasty hit from her sparring partner, things had suddenly gotten personal. The occasional shoulder check she could overlook because Ares brats were general assholes. But the snide confidence of blatant abuse- not only of herself, but of her half-siblings?- that was unacceptable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been amusing to see the look of shock on the face of her harasser when she’d turned with a snarl, ignoring the blinding pain of her cracked shoulder to deck the guy with a solid uppercut. The Son of Ares had looked so surprised at her ferocity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if they thought Cabin Nine wouldn’t fight back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things had only escalated from there, with the minor beatings becoming increasingly more brutal and Cabin Nine’s retaliatory actions advancing from petty pranks to dangerous traps, until Cabin Five and Nine were in an all out war. Chiron had stepped in, of course, telling both feuding sides to cease the childish and barbaric behavior at once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outwardly, they had apologized, agreeing to stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inwardly, they all knew that the playing field had just been altered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, instead of blatant harassment, the Ares kids were more subtle in their attacks. When a Child of Hephaestus ended up in the infirmary with a nasty bruise it was because they had failed to raise their sword in time during sparring practice, when they came with a broken arm it was because they had slipped on the rock wall, tumbling to the ground and landing awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Likewise, Nyssa and Jake had found more subdued methods of firing back. The washing machine mysteriously turned into a shredder on the day the Ares kids were scheduled to do laundry. And  when the metal doorknob of Cabin Five kept shocking people, well, that was because of something called static electricity (and not because of a miniature taser installed inside the door handle).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa could practically hear the excuse Jake would use for this latest one: “The Ares kids should take better care of their cabin. It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> fault that the steps on their staircase keep giving out and they end up falling into their own ditch.” In reality, Harley’s little springboard trap was an inventive masterpiece. The second step of the stairs to Cabin Five had been turned into a springboard that, with enough applied pressure, would launch one end of the board up, sending whichever unfortunate Child of War was on it into the dirt pit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the weather being perfect in Camp Half-Blood 24/7, Nyssa found herself praying for rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two demigods wove their way back though the minefield, sticking to the outskirt of the ring of cabins until they were confident no one had seen them. Nyssa slung an arm over Harley’s shoulder, talking loudly about one of his newest inventions and licking her thumb to wipe off the earthen smear on his forehead as they made their way up to the dining pavilion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A couple of Ares kids gave her and Harley the stink eye as she passed, an expression she readily reciprocated with the added bonus of flipping them the bird with her free hand. Harley stuck his tongue out. It was always interesting to see how red someones face could get; so far the Children of Ares had demonstrated a range of hues from beet to tomato to lobster. The one looking at them now was closer to the color of marinara sauce as he went to rise, only to be stopped by his cabinmates who were also glaring daggers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know, they’re already mad at us as is,” Jake said with a soft shake of his head as she plopped herself down beside him. “No need to go and make it worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speak for yourself,” Nyssa grunted, digging in to one of the plates Jake had gotten for her and Harley. “I still have plenty of bruises that have yet to be paid back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I take it you both had a… productive evening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harley nodded from across the table, a knowing glint in his eyes. “I’d say things are </span>
  <em>
    <span>falling</span>
  </em>
  <span> into place nicely.” He answered, the pun drawing huffs of laughter from both of the older demigods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wish we could be there to see their faces when they get flung into their own moat.” Nyssa commented, shoveling another spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth while Jake glanced up towards the from of the pavilion where Chiron was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If only.” He agreed, pausing a moment before sighing. “I have some unfortunate news.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A second spoonful paused halfway to her mouth, Nyssa glancing over at Jake curiously. “What now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apparently, starting tomorrow, Cabin Nine is back on the list of nightly rotations.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, guard duty?” Nyssa’s spoon clinked down onto the plate, food uneaten as she rolled her head back with a groan. “Are you serious? Why can’t we just have </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> week to relax. Is that too much to ask?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Technically, it’s already been a week.” Jake pointed out with a shrug. “I’m going to let everyone know tonight before lights out. Who knows?” He added, voice lifting slightly, “Maybe they’ll all finally take your advice about getting rest seriously now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doubtful.” Nyssa rolled her eyes, “But miracles have been known to happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleep is important, you know!” Harley spoke with a lilt to his words in an obvious mimic of Nyssa and the older girl swatted at his head with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You little brat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake chuckled, and a few of their cabinmates who were not so subtly eavesdropping joined in too, laughter echoing across the Hephaestus table. Surrounded by her family, Nyssa could help but smile: out of all the places in the world, nothing felt quite like home than Camp Half-Blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she’d arrived at the camp she’d felt… lost. Like a part of herself was missing. There was this void in her chest that wouldn’t fill no matter how many states she and her mom moved to. Growing up with a military mother taught her to be tough and fend for herself, she learned how to do things on her own, never needing to rely on others to get the job done. She loved her mother, truly, but between deployments and moving from naval base to naval base, Nyssa never saw her all that much. And then they’d moved to New York. While her mom taught at West Point, Nyssa had discovered Camp Half-Blood, and subsequently her true family. Nyssa had found the missing piece of herself, and while it was a bit difficult at first, learning how to lean on others, the Daughter of Hephaestus couldn’t imagine life without them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if Leo misses us too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The thought was so sudden that Nyssa paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. It was a silly thought, because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> Leo would miss them. She felt a special kinship with her younger half-sibling, with them both fluent in Spanish and their like-minded instinct to protect their cabinmates. Still, Nyssa couldn’t ignore the lingering worry in her gut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yo Nys,” She looked up to find Jake regarding her critically, an eyebrow raised at the still frozen fork. There was a momentary pause as his light eyes studied hers, then he grinned, “If you don’t finish eating soon all of the desserts will be gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That wouldn’t happen.” Nyssa retorted. “Because if it did, that would just mean I’d have to steal yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey-”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Ironically enough, it was Nyssa who found herself out on Cabin Nine’s balcony later that evening, long after her cabinmates had been urged to retire for the night. Despite all of the chaos of the last week, she couldn’t ignore the unease in the back of her mind when she thought about their departed Cabin Leader. Leo and the others should’ve arrived at the Roman Camp by now, and yet they hadn’t received so much as an Iris message from the fabled group of seven. Calloused fingers drummed rhythmically on the wooden railing, eyes trained up towards the star filled sky but gaze vacant as the Daughter of Hephaestus remembered a similar night almost a week ago now, under similar stars.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nyssa found Leo outside. The celebration had died down a while ago, her fellow demigods slowly filtering off to their bunks. Leo had been nowhere to be seen, so Nyssa had gone looking. She found him leaning against the porch railing, absently rolling a small gear between his fingers and staring out with a vacant expression, clearly lost in thought.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Her feet tromped on the wooden verandah that ringed their cabin, announcing her presence to the younger boy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo looked up from where he stood, eyes flicking quickly to the cabin door and back before a small smile graced his lips.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t tell me the party’s over already? It’s not even three in the morning.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nyssa resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead losing a quiet sigh. “You mean it’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>already</span>
  <em>
    <span> nearly three in the morning.” She leaned her back against the railing, tilting her head to the sky as she had done not so long ago when Leo had been the one to come and find </span>
  </em>
  <span>her</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo chuckled softly, but his smile fell a bit as he regarded her, the upturned lips replaced with a frown of concern. He always was fast to pick up on changes in her mood. “Is… is something wrong?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And by all the gods Nyssa could not figure out why </span>
  </em>
  <span>he</span>
  <em>
    <span> sounded nervous?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Something </span>
  </em>
  <span>was</span>
  <em>
    <span> still bothering her, a thought that Nyssa hadn’t considered until after their talk earlier. Nyssa just didn’t know exactly how to approach voicing her concern without coming off as accusatory. After another moment of contemplation she let out a huff. Screw it. She wasn’t good at dancing around a subject, better to just be blunt and ask. Besides, maybe then she’d finally be able to get through to her thick headed Cabin Leader.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why didn’t you go to Chiron?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo blinked at her blankly.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“About the Ares kids.” Nyssa elaborated. “Why didn’t you just go tell Chiron and let him take care of it?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo tsked, letting out a low laugh that sounded more bitter than sweet. “As if running to tattle to an </span>
  </em>
  <span>adult</span>
  <em>
    <span> ever solved the problem.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nyssa frowned, anger bubbling under the surface at the biting remark. “What are you, five? Afraid everyone will start calling you the teachers pet or something? That’s why Chron is </span>
  </em>
  <span>here </span>
  <em>
    <span>for Hades sake- to stop things like this from happening or getting worse.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo was shaking his head before she had finished. “That never works,” when he looked at her his eyes were hard, but sad, like he was resigned to the way things were. “If you run and get an adult every time it only gets worse. Eventually they won’t be around and you’ll have to confront the bully yourself, and when you do- well,” Leo spread his hands out to either side, “I wish I could tell you I was surprised by what Mark and Sherman did but, to be honest, I was expecting some kind of retaliation.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As much as Nyssa was loath to admit it, Leo made a fair point. But still… “And what about us? I get why you think you couldn’t go to Chiron- as much as I don’t agree- but why not tell me? Or Jake, for that matter?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Arms dropping back down to his side, Leo glanced away. “I… I don’t know. I guess I was just being stupid-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Bullshit.” Nyssa’s temper snapped with her words. “Despite how you try to pretend that you are, you’re not an idiot, Leo. I </span>
  </em>
  <span>know </span>
  <em>
    <span>you thought it through, and yet you still didn’t trust me and Jake enough to say anything.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As she’s spoken, Leo’s shoulders had tensed, rising defensively. His gaze was directed everywhere but her, and when he spoke, his words were hesitant. “It’s not that I… I </span>
  </em>
  <span>do</span>
  <em>
    <span> trust you guys. I just… I needed to do this alone.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo sighed. “Nys-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No.” She crossed her arms, glaring at him. “I want to know</span>
  </em>
  <span> why </span>
  <em>
    <span>you didn’t let us help you. Why did you feel the need to go all ‘lone wolf’ on us?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Because I needed to </span>
  </em>
  <span>fix</span>
  <em>
    <span> something.” The words were quiet, but dripping with disgust. Leo’s hand was clenched around the gear now, knuckles white as he glared at the floor. “I wanted to prove that I-” He paused, taking a breath and letting his shoulders fall. “Like I said, it’s stupid.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nyssa understood what had been left unsaid.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course she did. She knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>exactly</span>
  <em>
    <span> what it felt like to feel utterly useless.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When Festus had been rampaging through the camp woods and Chiron had tasked Cabin Nine with finding a way to shut down the animatronic dragon, they’d been excited. It was a challenge unlike anything they’d ever had in the past, and all of her cabinmates had been eager to tackle the problem.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And then Jake had nearly died.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nyssa could recall with striking clarity the moment she realized that all of her knowledge, all of her skills and technical prowess could do nothing against the rampaging machine. She remembered the feeling of helplessness as they’d all raced back to the infirmary with a badly burned and injured Jake, remembered praying to all of the gods that would listen, remembered feeling a paralyzing fear overtake her whenever she thought of facing the dragon again. For weeks she felt useless, beaten. And as a result she threw herself into her work, making and designing project after project just to prove to herself that she </span>
  </em>
  <span>could</span>
  <em>
    <span>, only being pulled out of her funk by Jake when he sat her down and talked some sense into her spiraling mind.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So yes, Nyssa understood. And in that moment she was able to see exactly what Jake had seen in her all those months ago. She knew how hard Leo had been working, had seen firsthand how intelligent he was, how clever. Nyssa could see Leo’s potential, even if her younger half-brother was blind to it in his own well of self-doubt.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And it was her job to help him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The only thing that’s stupid is you thinking you have anything to prove.” Nyssa said. “Because you don’t.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“But I-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ah ah- no but’s.” Nyssa interrupted, her words firm but kind as she continued. “Next time, promise me you’ll ask one of us for help. That’s what family’s for.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo looked up at that, eyes wide and glassy with moisture. He blinked a few times, ducking his head as his cheeks darkened. “I- yeah, okay. I mean, hopefully there won’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>be </span>
  <em>
    <span>a next time,” he added with a reassuring smile. “But... I promise.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d promised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa could only hope he hadn’t been lying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Getting a head start on night patrol duties, are we?” The sudden question was loud in her ear and Nyssa jumped, throwing out a punch on instinct.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow!” Jake rubbed his shoulder, “What was that for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t sneak up on people next time.” Nyssa retorted hotly, feeling her racing heart calm at the sight of their temporary Cabin Leader.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How was I sneaking? I made </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> much noise!” Jake protested half-heartedly. “And here I was coming to ask for your advice on our next move. But I get it- I’ll leave you alone to your brooding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> brooding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh huh.” Jake deadpanned, looking wholly unconvinced. “You were just frowning and staring off into space for the fun of it, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa shoved his shoulder with a tsk. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shut</span>
  </em>
  <span> up. I wasn’t brooding, I was just...  thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In a very dramatic and angsty fashion.” Jake smiled teasingly, the grin pulling at a fresh forming bruise on the edge of his jawline that hadn’t been there at dinner. “FYI: That’s called brooding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking about Leo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile fell from her half-brothers face. “Oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa crossed her arms over her chest. As if doing so could quell the churning in her gut. “I just… I hope he’s doing okay. That’s all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’ll be fine, Nys.” Jake reassured. “He’s got Annabeth and the others there to watch out for him. Not to mention he has Festus. That dragon wouldn’t let anything happen to his mechanic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was a good point, Nyssa conceded mentally. “Yeah… yeah, you’re probably right. So-” she shifted so that one hand rested on her hip now, changing the topic. “You wanted my advice on something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A mischievous light shone in Jake’s eyes. “I’ve been doing some thinking of my own, and I came up with a brilliant idea!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be the judge of that.” Nyssa smirked. “What’cha got?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You remember that epoxy I used to fasten the bow to your head?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa’s eyes narrowed dangerously. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where was Jake going with this?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “I don’t think I could forget that if I tried.” She growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, uh, sorry about that… again.” Jake rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I didn’t realize it would set so fast and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get to the point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jake swallowed. “So, what I was thinking is, we could fill some of Nelson’s party poppers with a thinner mixture of the resin and some pink glitter paint, fasten them to the door to Cabin Five, and rig it so that when the door gets opened- Pop!” Jake clapped his hands together and then splayed them out to either side. “Whoever’s coming out will be covered in sticky glitter paint that doesn’t wash out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa smiled devilishly at the thought of some poor unsuspecting Ares kid being blasted with the more permanent equivalent of pink glitter glue. It wasn’t a bad idea- but there would be no way to know for sure which of the Ares brats would be caught in the crossfire. However, the reminder of her own unpleasant experience with Jake’s epoxy and the struggle she had trying to wash it out gave Nyssa an idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> plan.” The Daughter of Hephaestus agreed, “But I think we can do one better.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Clarisse was the first one up that morning. She was the first one up every morning, but today in particular she was both surprised and annoyed to find her half-siblings still snoring away in their bunks. It wasn’t like they had anything important going on, but the fact that- even after yesterday’s abhorred spear training- not </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> of them felt the need to improve themselves just made her blood boil. If they were as dedicated as she, then they too would be waking up early to get in some extra practice before their scheduled camp activities started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lazy, the whole lot of them. With a huff of annoyance, Clarisse entered the back of the cabin to where the showers and latrines were, flicking on the overhead lights.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room remained dark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frowning, the Daughter of Ares toggled the switch up and down a few times with no difference in result. Great. Showering in the dark it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clarisse twisted the tap on the nearest shower to the hottest setting, stripping down and stepping into the steamy stall.The water fell thick on her skin as she shoved her head under the faucet, mind lingering on the issue of the lights. The power didn’t just go out like that. Very rarely were things broken in regards to the cabins; the only need for maintenance resulting from the fact that someone had broken something, either by accident or intentionally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This one, Clarisse suspected, fell into the latter category. Her cabins’ ongoing feud with the forge brats had been in full swing for almost a week now and showed no signs of stopping. Clarisse didn’t really care one way or the other what her half-siblings did so long as they didn’t get the rest of the cabin in trouble. She’d watched on with a dry amusement as her half-siblings raged against the members of Cabin Nine, enjoying the show of strength from her fellow cabinmates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She herself had not partaken in any of the squabbles. She felt no need to. The others felt like they had been wronged somehow by the absence of the Hephaestus runts, felt slighted that they had to work while the forge brats ‘played with their gears’ in the woods. Clarisse knew better. And as such she simply ignored the goings on between Cabin Five and Nine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, they </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> still preparing for a fight against the waking Gaia, so Clarisse knew the petty back and forth jabs would need to end at some point. And if things started to get too out of hand she would step up, reigning in her cabinmates. But for the moment it was a healthy competition between the half-cousins, not to mention a good way to remind the rest of the camp who were the real alpha dogs. Ares children enjoyed a good show of strength, valuing muscle over clever tricks, and even more so, they enjoyed proving that they were the toughest demigods in camp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Clarisse would let them have their fun for now. With the tension in the camp from the impending doom on the horizon and the fabled Prophecy of Seven, it was a good way to let out some steam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shifting focus from the metaphorical steam in her thoughts to the physical vapors surrounding her, Clarisse frowned as beads of water trailed down her hair and onto her skin. Something about the water felt… off. It felt thicker than normal, and there a faint, unfamiliar aroma lingering in the foggy air. Rubbing her fingers against her palm, Clarisse squinted in the darkness, straining to see with the limited light filtered in though the door to the washroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something was staining her fingers. Barely visible was the darker droplets coating her skin, spots that easily grew in number the longer she held her hand under the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The water’s tainted?</span>
  </em>
  <span> But that was impossible. The water in camp came from a natural spring maintained by the Naiads in the forest. Which could only mean that…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” Clarisse hurriedly shut off the water, stumbling out of the shower in her haste and letting out a few other choice curse words. Wrapping a towel around herself, the Daughter of Ares wrenched open the door, wet feet slapping the tiled floor of the bathroom whose electrical lights hadn’t been tampered with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl pulled up short as she caught a glance of herself in one of the mirrors, immediately reversing her stance to being grateful that none of her siblings were awake to see her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her, and her choppy, formerly blond hair that was now stained a bright, glittery fuschia. The sticky dye had not only coated her hair, but had also dripped onto her shoulders and down her back, staining pale skin in the same ungodly shimmery pink mess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her fingers curled into a fist as her cheeks heated with rage, and with a roar loud enough to wake a drakon, Clarisse slammed her fist into the stone wall, feeling something that was not bones crack under the force of the blow. The mirror, rattled by the vibrations, tilted slightly, skewing the reflection of Cabin Five’s head counselor.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Alright.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Clarisse thought, eyes murderous as she glared at herself and the abomination that had become of her hair. There was only one answer as to who was responsible for doing this. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They want to play dirty? Fine. I’ll show them dirty.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabbed a blade that was sitting on the counter beside the sink and began cutting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The time for playing games was over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was time to go to war.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>Oof- that may have been a mistake... Oh well, I'm sure Nyssa and Jake can handle a rampaging Daughter of Ares.</p><p>We will be going back to the main story line next chapter, but I wanted to make sure we all saw that Clarisse is a woman of her word, and Cabin Five is one to hold a grudge. Not that Cabin Nine's full of pushovers- they'll fight back with fire even without their resident pyromaniac!</p><p>I'm gonna keep my update schedule to one per month, and I'll be working on the Brooklyn House Championship story in the meantime. I'm gonna try something new and finish ALL of the chapters before posting it. That way I can not only focus on writing it all out at once, but I can also post one chapter every other day instead of every other week if y'all are okay with that? :)</p><p>Until next time!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After talking with Bacchus, Piper realizes the eidolons are still on the ship, and the crew takes appropriate countermeasures.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all!</p><p>Sorry about the absence of last month, I learned I'm going on a deployment soon and life has been pretty hectic trying to figure out what I need to do to get ready for that. </p><p>I will do my best to keep the updating schedule to once per month at a minimum, and I thank you in advance for your patience :)<br/>I hope everyone has a great week!<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Entry #23: Truths Laid Bare</strong>
</p><p><br/>Leo was at the helm. A detail that wouldn’t normally be strange, if not for the fact that he hadn’t remembered actually making his way up to the quarterdeck. He frowned down at the console, a sharp gaze scanning over the instruments and settings and seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The realization that nothing was actively going wrong only made his frown deepen.</p><p>
  <em> Then what was I up here for? </em>
</p><p> A rumble in the distance drew his eyes to the surrounding sky, the ominous sound promising rain in the near future. Towering cumulus clouds had blocked out the sun, sending shadows dancing across the hull of the ship. He could feel the telltale downdrafts of a storm already sweeping across the deck, chilling his exposed arms and raising gooseflesh on the back of his neck.</p><p>Looking back down at the controls, Leo noted that the autopilot feature was already activated and their course was holding steady despite the unexpected gales. The pressure and temperature gauges were all hovering safely in the green and none of the circuit breakers had popped.</p><p>In other words: Everything was working properly.</p><p>So why, then, did that not quell the uneasiness that had settled in his gut.</p><p>“Hey, Festus? Can you do a quick onboard system scan, something doesn’t feel right.” Just to be safe he double checked the systems, running his own non-extensive diagnostic and confirming his initial findings that <em> everything was fine </em>. Leo raised his head up towards the bow, realizing that he’d yet to hear an answer from the masthead. Actually… now that he focused on it, the ship was abnormally quiet; devoid of all the normal clicks and creaks that usually accompanied the dragons presence.</p><p>“Festus. Hey, buddy, did you hear me?”</p><p>But when he looked, the animatronics eyes were dark and unresponsive.</p><p>Leo’s heart stuttered to a stop. <em> No… </em> . gods <em> no, please not again. </em> “F-Festus?” The one word wavered with a swell of fear.</p><p>The lifeless polycarbonate remained unlit.</p><p>The Son of Hephaestus shook his head, a dizzying lightness filling his head and causing white spots to dance in his vision. He wanted to run to the dragon masthead but his feet felt frozen in place. This couldn’t be happening. <em> Why </em> was this happening? He had fixed- he <em> thought </em> he had fixed the animatronic-</p><p><em> Lies. </em> Leo shuddered at the voice in his head. It spoke with an icy clarity, cutting through his panicked thoughts with the bluntness of cold truth. <em> You didn’t fix it. Harley did </em> . <em> Had he not gone behind your back and tampered with the machine, the dragon would’ve never been reborn. You did </em> nothing <em> . </em></p><p>No… no he’d done <em> something </em>. Hadn’t he? Surely he… he hadn’t been.... </p><p>Useless.</p><p><em> Yes. </em> The voice that wasn’t his sounded pleased at Leo’s self-realization, hissing, <em> while the others each serve a purpose in this quest, you are merely an anchor, dragging them down. </em></p><p>Worthless. The seventh wheel. Unwanted. Unneeded.</p><p>
  <em> Exactly. </em>
</p><p>Leo’s eyes snapped back open as the ship suddenly groaned beneath him. Unlike the vivacious creaks of Festus however, this sound was harsh and grating, as if the ship was bending under the weight of some invisible force. Leo felt as if he too was rooted by the weight, his shoulders drooping and neck bent uncomfortably. Celestial bronze planks bowed until they cracked, sticking up like jagged teeth in the center of the ship. The mast snapped, crashing down onto the empty deck as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. All around him the ship he and his cabin had spent <em> months </em> building was falling apart.</p><p>And throughout it all, Leo could do <em> nothing </em>.</p><p><em> Incompetent </em>.</p><p>The base of the bow splintered, the paneled surface fracturing along the rows of rivets that had been so carefully installed one at a time.</p><p><em> A waste </em>.</p><p>The engines burst into flames, smoke trailing from the exhaust ports in billowing waves that intermingled with the storm clouds surrounding the ship. Everything became shrouded in a haze of poisonous smog, darkness curling in from all sides.</p><p><em> Replaceable </em>.</p><p>Leo barely registered that the floor beneath his feet was crumbling, the metal that had once supported him fragmenting until there was nothing left: and he fell into the void.</p><hr/><p>He jerked awake with a startled gasp, limbs flailing as the motion unbalanced him and he fell to the side. For a brief moment, the familiar sensation jogged something in Leo’s mind- <em> he’d been falling, and there was smoke </em>- before the impact of his hands against the metal deck jolted up his arms and it was gone.</p><p>Leo’s heart was pounding in his chest, breaths coming in quick and shallow as his mind tried to escape the fog of sleep. He’d…  caught himself before hitting the floor?</p><p>Why was that a question. Of course he caught himself, it wasn’t like there was anyone else there to catch him, they were all out trying to find Dionysus- or Bacchus, or whatever the god was going by these days.</p><p>Shaking his head to disperse the last vestiges of sleep from his muddled thoughts, Leo glanced around finding himself still in the shade of the staircase leading to the helm. The mechanic vaguely remembered talking to Coach Hedge and Annabeth about the broken crossbow before sitting down for a quick nap, but as he looked around he only saw Annabeth standing by the rail with Jason and Piper and- oh! They were all back.</p><p>And based on the narrowed stare that Frank was giving him, the shapeshifting Roman probably assumed Leo had just been napping the whole time they’d been gone. Perfect; as if he hadn’t already given the guy enough reasons to hate him. </p><p>Jason and Percy both looked like they had been in a fight. Percy was rubbing a spot on the back of his head and the center of his shirt was singed in a star-shaped pattern almost like he’d been struck with lightning- <em> there was a flash of lightning and an earsplitting crash </em>- while Jason was sporting a sizeable bruise on his cheek. Frank and Hazel appeared to be fine, the latter’s hair a bit windblown as she listened  to what Piper was saying with rapt attention.</p><p>Standing quickly, Leo made his way over to the group, catching the end of whatever conversation they’d been having (without him) and seeing the concern on Piper’s face as she said, “The eidolons- they’re still here, on the ship.”</p><p>“What’s an eidolon?”</p><p>Annabeth looked over at him, eyebrows raised as if she hadn’t noticed him wake up. “Possessive spirits.” She answered shortly, turning her gaze back to Piper. “How do you know?”</p><p>“I,” Piper hesitated, worrying her lower lip. Her eyes flicked briefly to Leo and her expression looked apologetic (which was confusing because what would she have to apologize to <em> him </em> for, of all people). “I don’t <em> know </em> for sure, but I just- it’s just a feeling, but-”</p><p>“Gut instinct.” Annabeth nodded. “Trust it.”</p><p>“I’ve met eidolons,” Hazel exhaled. “In the Underworld, when I was… you know. They weren’t exactly friendly.”</p><p>Right. Hazel was, in her own way, a spirit come back from the dead. Only a lot prettier than any zombie Leo had ever met.</p><p>Frank had turned his focus back to the Daughter of Aphrodite, asking, “So what do we do?”</p><p>“Actually, I have an idea.” Piper said, and this time the hesitance was nowhere to be found, her gaze flashing with confidence. “But first we need to set a course for Atlanta. Leo, are we ready to sail?”</p><p>Leo blinked at being addressed, acutely aware that all six pairs of eyes swiveled to await his answer. “Uh, yeah but-”</p><p>“Do it. I’ll explain later,” and again Piper’s eyes conveyed an apology that Leo didn’t quite understand. “Then meet the rest of us in the dining room.”</p><p>“But…” The protest died on his lips at the unvoiced plea in his friends gaze, and for once he held back on asking questions. “Okay.” And with a nod he hurried to the helm, the others heading below deck as he fired up the engines.</p><p>Leo watched the gauges- <em> all in the green, and yet something was wrong </em> - as the ship rose into the sky. After making a quick calculation, he set their new course, turning over control of the autopilot navigation to the secondary system. Festus creaked in acknowledgement of the adjustment and power transfer- <em> unlit eyes, a sense of failure and grief and- </em></p><p>With a groan, Leo pressed the heel of his hand into his eyes, leaning against the console for a moment as a wave of vertigo washed over him. <em> Dios </em> his <em> head </em>. It felt like someone was using it as an anvil.</p><p><em> Don’t go downstairs </em>.</p><p>The sudden thought was accompanied by a painful throb and Leo grunted.</p><p>Festus creaked in concern.</p><p>
  <em> Don’t. Go. Downstairs. </em>
</p><p>Leo shook his head, immediately regretting the movement as it only made the pressure behind his eyes increase. Piper had said to meet them in the mess hall-</p><p>
  <em> DON’T GO DOWNSTAIRS! </em>
</p><p>His mind felt like it was going to split in two and Leo’s legs buckled, hands automatically shooting out to brace himself against the deck as his eyes screwed shut. The moment his palms touched the cold metal he felt the vast expanse of the ships inner workings flood his head, sensing electrical connections and interlocking gears, feeling the movement of pistons and the minor adjustments of dampers. The influx was overshadowed by a strong sense of <em> concern </em> that radiated fro the masthead, and when Festus creaked again Leo heard it through the ship, echoing off of metal pipes and across the structural beams.</p><p>The sound cut through his mind, and as quickly as it had come on, the headache vanished.</p><p>Leo stayed there for a moment, panting on all fours and just staring at the deck.</p><p>Was that- was <em> he </em>-</p><p>Piper was right. Leo needed to get to the mess hall.</p><p>Slowly, Leo got back to his feet, making sure to keep one hand connected to the ship at all times. He forced himself to focus his senses outward as he made his way down the stairs, hearing Festus’ constant whirring through the celestial bronze, grounding him and keeping the- that other <em> thing </em> at bay.</p><p>By the time he reached the mess hall, the feeling had dimmed considerably, lingering like a bad aftertaste but otherwise remaining out of reach. The others were already settled in their seats, and Piper looked up at him with a tight smile and a nod. Leo returned the gesture, going for reassuring but sincerely doubting it came off that way, taking a deep breath before removing his hand from the wall.</p><p>After a moment of nothing happening- no sudden headache or sudden urge to run out of the room- he hurried to the last open seat, plopping down in the chair and immediately placing one hand on the underside of the table.</p><p>It wasn’t quite the same as touching the ship’s walls directly, but the cool metal still helped calm his nerves.</p><p>“So…” Frank began, rubbing a hand across his buzz cut hair as if some of the ghosts might have invaded his scalp. “You think these things are lurking in the ship? Or…”</p><p>“Possibly lurking inside some of us.” Piper answered, and Leo couldn’t repress a shudder as a chill raced down his spine. “We don’t know for sure, but we have to take steps. I think I can do this.”</p><p>Percy raised a curious eyebrow. “Do what?”</p><p>“Just listen, okay?” Piper took a deep breath, her voice strong as she commanded, “Everybody listen.”</p><p>Leo didn’t know why he would do anything else, his usually wandering attention now captured wholly by his friend. Piper met each of their gazes individually, looking reassured as she took another steadying inhale.</p><p>“Eidolons,” she said, and her voice seemed to dominate the very air around them, “raise your hands.”</p><p>There was a tense silence.</p><p>Leo felt himself laugh a bit nervously. “Did you really think that was going to-”</p><p>Then he was being shoved back in his own mind, barely registering the fact that his hand was raising of its own volition. There were gasps around the table and someone was moving but the sounds were muted, the view distorted, almost like Leo was hearing and seeing everything from underwater.</p><p>Piper was speaking again, and Leo struggled to hear what she was saying, struggled to regain some semblance of control over his own body. He pushed forwards sluggishly before a wave of cold buffeted him back. He sank deeper into his own mind.</p><p>He was talking. Leo could feel his mouth moving, could hear the dampened words coming from his mouth. A mouth he was no longer in control of, words that he had no way of holding back no matter how hard he tried, how hard he struggled.</p><p><em> Useless </em>.</p><p>The thought, buried along with so many others, whispered in the dark recess of his head. It was futile to try and overcome the eidolon possessing him. He wasn’t strong enough. Wasn’t smart enough. Wasn’t <em> good </em> enough.</p><p>
  <em> Worthless. </em>
</p><p>Leo tried anyways.</p><p>Jason, Frank, and Hazel were standing now. Leo had the sense that someone was pointing something sharp at him, but he couldn’t tell who or what. His head turned and he hissed- <em> hissed? </em>- at Frank. Then Piper was speaking again and Leo’s face turned back towards her, enraptured by the charmspeak.</p><p>Stuck in his own head, Leo couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride for his friend as she bent the eidolons will to her own.</p><p>“Now leave.”</p><p>All at once Leo was snapped back into the drivers seat, his vision greying as he slumped sideways out of his chair. There was a solid smack as his head was reunited with the floor, and he groaned out a pained, “Ow!”</p><p>“Are you alright?” It took him a moment to connect the voice with Hazel, who was now hovering over him with a worried expression. Instead of answering, Leo pulled himself up, rubbing at the soon-to-be bump on his skull.</p><p>“Did it work?” He asked.</p><p>“It worked.” Piper confirmed, shoulders slumping in relief as she helped steady Jason, who had apparently also been about to fall out of his seat. A quick glance over to the others showed that Annabeth had grabbed Percy’s arm, and was looking over her boyfriend with open concern.</p><p>So he was the only one who’d felt the full effects of gravity? Of course. Gods forbid anyone catch <em> him </em> when he falls.</p><p>Leo instantly regretted the thought.</p><p>Annabeth had caught Percy because- well, they <em> were </em> boyfriend-girlfriend so he was kind of her priority. Piper making sure Jason didn’t smack his head into the table after he’d <em> just </em> recovered from his other head wound was something any of them would’ve done. And Frank… Frank was still hesitant around Leo. Which Leo couldn’t really fault the guy for seeing as he’d fired on their camp and none of his jokes seemed to amuse the shapeshifter. Quite the opposite, in fact.</p><p>Jason still looked a bit confused, shaking his head slightly as he glanced at Piper. “Does this mean I can stop getting head injuries now?”</p><p>The resulting laugh from Piper was breathy, the Daughter of Aphrodite’s eyes glimmering as she smiled. “Only if you can stop picking fights. C’mon Lightning Boy. Let’s get you some fresh air.”</p><p>Wobbling slightly as he stood, Jason happily took the proffered arm of Piper, letting her lead him out of the room. Annabeth looked to the rest of them and offered a small relieved smile. “We still have to go over everything else we learned from Bacchus,” she said. “But for now, I think a much deserved rest is in order. How long until we reach Atlanta?”</p><p>The question was directed at Leo and the mechanic frowned for a moment, mind still reeling from the expulsion of the eidolon from his head. Luckily, Festus’ voice clacked through the ships walls, providing Leo with the answer which he then relayed to Annabeth.</p><p>The Daughter of Athena nodded, “Then let’s plan on having a debrief tonight after dinner. We don’t want to waste any more time once we get to Atlanta.”</p><p>“Assuming nothing <em> else </em> goes wrong.” Leo supplied, earning himself a deadpan stare from a set of steely grey eyes.</p><p>“Don’t even say that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fin! Thanks for reading!</p><p>This chapter was a bit shorter than normal because I wanted the next bit to be from Piper's POV, but I didn't want to detract from Leo in this scene.</p><p>Seriously, someone needs to give the poor boy a hug!</p><p>Until next time!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The one in which Leo GETS A HUG</p><p> </p><p>(Finally)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hellllllooooooo!</p><p>I am still alive and updating this story- sorry for the unexpected hiatus but for those who do not know I'm officially on my military deployment so finding time to write is hard to do. That being said, I will never give up on a story without some kind of notification- I'll keep writing as long as people are willing to keep reading :)</p><p>Heck, I'll probably still write even if people DON'T read it cuz no one else is writing the stories I want to read. Damn AO3 authors making me work :P</p><p>Not gonna lie, this one was hard to write- there are feels in this chapter, you have been warned.<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Entry #24: Entered in Error</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper lingered on the deck for a while longer after her talk with Jason. Once he’d promised her he had no intentions of leaving Camp Half-Blood in favor of returning to his original home of Camp Jupiter, Piper had felt a knot of tension uncoil from her chest. She hadn’t even noticed it was there, slowly constricing her heart, but now that it was gone the air tasted all the more sweeter. Turning to smile at her boyfriend, she instead caught the tail end of a massive yawn, poorly concealed behind his wide, calloused hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He apologized politely, Piper shaking her head and insisting it was fine, he was probably worn out from… well, everything that had happened that day: from chasing off the eidolons, to fighting with Percy, to their meeting with Bacchus-slash-Dionysus. Not to mention receiving his second head wound in a very short span of time (Piper was seriously considering stopping by a sporting goods store to get him a helmet the next time they landed). She’d offered to help him back to his room but Jason had rebuffed the offer lightly, saying he was feeling a lot better; quote “I’m not even dizzy anymore, see!” Which by Piper’s standard was a very low bar to gauge the severity of what was possibly a concussion. But she’d let him go, not willing to wound his pride with her nagging, her lips brushing against his gently before he left with the reservation of someone who knew it wouldn't be their last.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now she stood alone as the Argo II raced east, cruising several hundred feet above the ground. Below them small towns passed by, lit-up like starry clusters in the dark sea of prairie. It reminded her of last winter, flying on Festus (in his dragon form) over the city of Quebec. Back then she’d never seen something so beautiful, or felt so happy to have Jason’s arms around her. Now her arms chilled with gooseflesh in the cooling breeze, reminded of his absence by the lingering warmth from where he’d been leaning against her side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sights below blurred in her focus, replaced in her mind by the vision she’d seen in her knife- a room, flooding with dark water as black as a starless sky, the fear of being trapped, of drowning, tightening her lungs until she found it hard to breathe. Closing her eyes, Piper took a shaky step away from the railing, her arms wrapping around herself as she pulled air through her nose, held it, then let it out slowly. It didn’t help nearly as much as she hoped it would, but the small fact that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> breathe was enough to slow her racing heart and quell the worst of her fears. She was fine, everyone was fine. No one was trapped or drowning.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>… yet.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a poisonous thought- one that didn’t belong in her head and so Piper shook it away with a vehemence unbefitting her normally calm and charming personality. She wouldn’t allow herself to give into such despair; she could still remember the Wolf House, and how helpless she’d felt during the battle and the subsequent distress when Jason had-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper slammed a stop to that train of thought before it could go any further, reminding herself for the third time that night that Jason was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He was fine. She had saved him, both back then and now and she would always have his back like he had hers. They were a team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But no, something wasn’t quite right with that last statement. It felt hollow, like something was missing. Her mind struggled through a fog of fatigue, grasping for the missing piece but closing on nothing but air. Without realizing it, Piper had begun walking, her steps taking her towards the bow of the ship. Festus creaked a greeting, turning his head and giving the Daughter of Aphrodite a toothy grin, and just like that it clicked: Leo. She had been so caught up in everything that she’d forgotten about the mechanic, and now that the final piece of the puzzle was in place, it was like the sun had chased away the fog in her head, allowing her to recall everything she’d been missing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Guilt swelled in her chest as she remembered Leo’s tired confusion upon their return, not understanding why but still setting a course for Atlanta regardless, no questions asked. She remembered Leo sitting at the table, hesitant and worried, but when she’d looked at him he’d only nodded in encouragement, trust shining in his eyes and giving her the final push she’d needed to use her charmspeak on the Eidolons. She remembered Leo’s bright eyes dulled by the monster possessing him- that </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been possessing him since gods know when- as he’d hissed out words that were far too cold for the warm hearted Son of Hephaestus; remembered how he’d crumpled to the floor once the monster was gone, getting up with only a grimace and a smile at her that was full of pride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And what had she done? Left with Jason to make sure her boyfriend was okay, completely ignoring the other member of their trio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gods she was such a </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible </span>
  </em>
  <span>friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper was already making her way below deck before the self-reprimand finished, idly wondering if Leo was still awake or if he’d gone to bed by now. The door to the last room swung open soundlessly, the lights off and the room plunged in darkness. Piper bit her lip, resolving to talk with Leo in the morning and check in on him when she realized that the bed was made. Blinking in the low light filtering in from the hallway, she peered around to see that the bedsheets were undisturbed, the locker empty and the desk mounted in the corner devoid of use.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A frown turned down her lips as she let the door open fully, spilling a tunnel of light into the room. “Leo?” She called gently, glancing into the bathroom to confirm that the mechanic wasn’t in there either; although there was a damp towel folded on the counter and a change of clothes tossed hastily in a pile in one of the corners.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper backed out of the room, the door clicking softly shut behind her. She backtracked, checking the mess hall and the meeting room but not finding Leo in either. Then Festus creaked, the sound familiar to her from their time riding the dragon, and though she didn’t understand the animatronic, she could tell the sound was directed towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is he?” She asked, and not to herself, eyes drifting up to the ceiling and awaiting the answer. Festus seemed to understand, and he clacked again, but this time it sounded from the end of the hall where a second set of stairs led down into the lowest level of the Argo II where the stables and the-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Engine room.” Piper breathed. “Of course.” How had she not thought to check there first? She must’ve been more worn out than she’d assumed to have not considered it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ship was soundproofed well enough that the only noise that could be heard from below was a small, soothing rumbling; when in actuality, as Piper descended the stairs, the lower level was notably louder than the upper ones. Especially when the door to the engine room was open as it was now, golden beams dancing across the floor and walls from the open door. From inside, Piper wouldn’t have been able to tell it was nighttime, the fluorescent bulbs that were mounted on strips of metal that webbed across the room filling the space with a glow that rivaled the sun itself. Piper had to squint for a moment, a hand thrown up to shade her eyes as she scanned the room for her friend. It only took her a few seconds to spot him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was asleep. The mechanic was slumped over on a slanted worktable that had been folded down from the wall. A pair of safety goggles were skewed on his forehead, the strap tangled in his messy hair. One hand dangled over the edge of the table, a pen balancing carefully between relaxed fingers, the other pillowing his head above a small stack of sheets and a book that lie open to a page half-filled with writing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mechanic’s sleep was not peaceful, however, a small crease between his brows and a frown on his lips. As she watched, the furrow deepened and Leo made a small keening noise deep in his throat, turning his head deeper into the crook of his arm. In doing so his arm jostled, upsetting the delicate balance of the pen, the writing instrument slipping from his hand to clatter to the floor. To Piper, the small sound was lost amidst the louder well of noise in the engine room, but it was enough to wake Leo, the mechanic’s head jerking up, eyes blinking blearily at the wall for a moment, unfocused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unaware of his audience, Leo raised a hand to rub at his eyes, and it was only then that Piper seemed to notice how deep the bags under them were. Leo grumbled something unintelligible, his hand moving from eyes to forehead as he massaged the skin, face scrunching in obvious discomfort. Then the mechanic’s gaze slid over the side of the table to stare wordlessly at the pen for a long moment, incomprehension filling their brown depths for a few seconds in which he simply blinked and frowned. With a heavy groan, Leo bent over, picking up the pen with stiff movements- it occurred to Piper that sleeping over a desk was not the most comfortable of places to rest- and when he straightened back up his eyes met hers. He blinked at her, and it seemed to register then that he wasn’t alone, but in that split second before he pasted on a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, Piper saw an emotion she’d never thought she’d associate with Leo: resignation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then it was gone and his mask was up, his voice light and carefree and not at all representative of the weariness she’d just seen. “Hey Beauty Queen! What are you doing down here?” There was genuine confusion in the question, as if Leo couldn’t fathom why Piper would be in the engine room.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Idiot</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Piper chided herself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course he’d be confused. You didn’t seem to care about him earlier.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “I just wanted to check up on you,” She said honestly, “how’s your head?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, this old thing?” Leo rapped his knuckles on the side of his forehead, wincing slightly before his too-wide smile smothered the reaction. “Never better! They don’t call me hard-headed for nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She almost smiled at the joke, but she found she couldn’t, not after what she’d seen in his gaze only moments before. It was actually painful to watch him try to put up a front, and Piper’s mouth thinned. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo tilted his head slightly, and Piper could see confusion and concern warring in his gaze. “For what? You didn’t do anything- well, no,” he amended the statement with a ‘well, duh’ expression, “that’s not true, you saved us again. Good job taking care of those Eidolons!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His tone was cheerful but Piper saw a shiver shake his body at mention of the monsters. She bit her lip, the guilt returning and squeezing her chest because Leo shouldn’t be so… so dismissive, like it didn’t matter that no one checked up on him until now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you were right the first time, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> do anything.” The words were bitter, and she crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from Leo as her cheeks reddened with shame. “I sat there while you smacked your head on the floor and then left without making sure you were okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, hey-” Piper heard a scraping sound as Leo stood up, his footsteps growing closer until his stained work boots were in front of her own muddy sneakers. “That’s not your fault- gravity and I have never been on the best of terms.” When the humor failed to pull a smile from her she heard Leo sigh, his voice still holding a smile in the words, even if it was strained. “And... I get it, really, I do. Jason’s your boyfriend, so of course you’re gonna make sure he’s okay first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There it was again, that disheartened resignation. It sounded sour coming from someone like Leo, and there was an undercurrent of acceptance, like he was okay with being forgotten. “But you’re my friend too,” Piper insisted, raising her head to meet his, and it was his turn to look away, gaze sliding sideways to stare at the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pipes, it’s fine.” It wasn’t. She could see it now that she was looking for it, the masked hurt in his wavering smile. “I’m not mad or anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was the kicker, wasn’t it. Because Leo </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> mad or angry, not at her, not at Jason, not at any of the others. Leo wasn’t offended by the fact he’d been essentially ignored, and that </span>
  <em>
    <span>infuriated </span>
  </em>
  <span>Piper for some reason. She felt her lungs swell with breath and her next words were loud, borderline shouting out of frustration at his blase attitude. “Well you </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> be mad!” The volume startled Leo who jumped sightly, looking back at her with wide eyes. “You should be furious with us, you should be shouting and yelling and screaming at us-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re doing enough for the both of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-because we’ve been </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrible</span>
  </em>
  <span> friends, and I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s wry grin vanished, replaced with a serious frown. “You’re not terrible.” He insisted, and Piper marveled at how sincere those three words were. “You’re the best friends I could have ever hoped for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By all the gods he believed it too. Piper felt her eyes moisten but she absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>refused</span>
  </em>
  <span> to cry at the show of loyalty from Leo, she had no right to, not when she and Jason hadn’t shown the same unwavering faith in him. “Best friends? With how we’ve been treating you? I mean,” She gestured at nothing with her hands, shaking her head as her mind flashing back to a few days ago, “we didn’t even defend you when everyone was accusing you of firing on the Romans when it wasn’t even your </span>
  <em>
    <span>fault!</span>
  </em>
  <span> What kind of friend just stands by and does </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> okay! We all owe you an apology, you should be </span>
  <em>
    <span>demanding </span>
  </em>
  <span>one but I know you wont. And now I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>yelling</span>
  </em>
  <span> at you when I came down here in the first place to see if you were okay!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> okay Piper.” Leo’s hand came to rest on her shoulder, squeezing slightly in reassurance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps it would’ve worked too if she couldn’t hear the exhaustion in his voice that contradicted that very statement. She looked up and studied him for a long moment, seeing the places where his usually charming mask had cracked, allowing the true Leo to leak through; the Leo that cracked jokes no one laughed at, the one who was always left behind on the ship while everyone else went off on missions, the one who worked through the night to get them where they needed to be without once complaining because every time he complained it fell on deaf ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It twisted Piper’s heart into something incomprehensible that she hadn’t seen through the mask sooner, that it took her this long to realize her friend was hurting so much and so silently. She covered his hand with hers, and her voice was gentler when she spoke next, worry and concern weeping from the words like an open wound. “No, you’re not. You’re not sleeping, at least not enough, and I can’t even remember the last time you ate with us- </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> ate a full meal and not just nibbled on some snack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo, you’re running yourself ragged trying to maintain the ship and yet I don’t think we’ve ever </span>
  <em>
    <span>once</span>
  </em>
  <span> thanked you for it. Let alone offered to help with the more simple repairs, or- or asked to learn how to navigate to give you a break or-” The tears she’d been holding back finally spilled over, and Piper swiped at them relentlessly. “Gods why am </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one crying?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo huffed softly. “Because you care too much.” He all but mumbled, the fond words nearly lost amidst the engine noise. “As for the maintenance, well… someone has to do it, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> Captain Toolbelt after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nickname was spoken solemnly with a hint of bitterness, as if Leo resented the title. Piper was sure he hadn’t meant for it to come out that way; maybe he was just to tired to pretend anymore, maybe he’d just been caught off guard by her suddenly showing up, or maybe it was because of how secrets and truths seemed to always emerge in the late hours of the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let us help you.” Piper sniffled, gaining back some control of her tear ducts once more as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Even if we haven’t been exemplary models of it we </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> your friends, and friends lean on one another when they need to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo had a strange look on his face, one Piper couldn’t identify. “I’ll… keep it in mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, just don’t let it stay there,” She said, smiling at him. “Let us give you a hand every now and again, okay?” And then, acting on a sudden impulse, she pulled the taller, lankier boy into a hug. Leo wasn’t expecting it, a small noise of surprise brushing past his lips as her arms encircled his back. Piper pressed her head into the crook of his shoulder, smelling the sweat and oil staining his clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, okay? You’re my little, annoying, bratty brother who thinks he has to do everything by himself and doesn’t understand the concept of taking breaks. I can’t help but worry sometimes.” She said her words slightly muffled by his shirt. “But you’ve always been there for me and I want to be there for you too, because that’s what family does.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was stiff underneath her for the longest time, his shoulders tense and breath tight with every rise and fall of his chest. Piper ddn’t say anything more, not wanting to push him, but she solidified her hold, silently telling him that she was there to support him. She finally felt his arms wrap around her, resting gently on the small of her back with only a brief hesitation. It was such a small action- indulging in the embrace- but the moment he did it Leo went suddenly boneless, like he was a puppet with his strings cut, slumping into her hold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper took the weight of it all without complaint. She rubbed one of her hands in a circular motion along the knots of sinew in his back, using the other to press him closer as Leo’s forehead bowed to press into the top of her shoulder. She continued to say nothing as his breath shuddered against her neck, the inhales shaky and the exhales little more than explosions of wind. He didn’t cry, she could tell by the fact that her shoulder remained dry, but the tearless sobs were telling enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper’s heart broke all over again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a time, Leo’s breathing evened out, and she felt him pull back slightly. Unwilling to keep him trapped, Piper loosened her hold, looking up at the mechanic. His mask was back up, but this time there was an openness to it, like the only thing he was trying to hide now were the tears he hadn’t spilled. He didn’t let go of her and she didn’t make any move away either, her green eyes looking into his dark ochre. There was still exhaustion lining the brown iris’, still a waver of doubt, but they shone brighter than they had in days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s smile was genuine, if a bit cheeky as he said, “Y’know, I can’t really be your </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> brother if I’m actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>taller</span>
  </em>
  <span> than you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper rolled her eyes, but a smile pulled at her lips despite her best attempt to look exasperated. “Oh, shut up you little grease monkey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Big</span>
  </em>
  <span> grease monkey.” He corrected her with a wink, and Pipers resultant laugh rang across the engine room, filling the expanse and making the whole place feel- if possible- brighter than it had been before. Before anything else could be said, Festus creaked through the support beams. Leo’s attention was drawn away and only then did he step back, creating a small distance between himself and Piper once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried not to dwell on that too much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it bud- I’ll note the pressures. You still working on the turbine inlet temps?” After a quick click in the affirmative (based on Leo’s nod to himself) from the dragon, Leo made his way back to the worktable, slipping into the seat and scribbling a note in the open book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper cleared her throat pointedly, placing her hands square on her hips and leveling a stern glare at Leo, who had the audacity to not look chastened in the slightest. “What?” He asked innocently, and Piper audibly groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did we </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> talk about?” She asked, the question rhetorical as she made an aborted motion with her hands towards the cot in the corner. “Sleep, remember? It’s not just for the ones with head wounds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, Beauty Queen,” He dismissed her comment with a wave. “I remember. I’m just writing down the work we did today in the logbook before going to bed, it’ll take ten minutes tops. Seriously, that’s it, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>promise</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” He added when Piper’s expression didn’t change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Daughter of Aphrodite briefly considered using her charmspeak on the stubborn demigod just to force him to get some shut eye, but eventually decided against it. She hated using it on her friends in any capacity, it felt like a violation almost, to override their own will with hers. “Fine.” She said instead, turning and making her way back towards the door, “I’m going to bed too, it’s been a long day. I’ll see you tomorrow at lunch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s happening at lunch?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could practically hear the head tilt in Leo’s questioning words, and sure enough when she glanced over her shoulder he was staring at her inquisitively, head cocked to the side and brow furrowed as he tried fruitlessly to remember what he thought he forgot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“”Lunch is happening at lunch.” Piper answered with only a hint of amusement leaking through her eyes. “We’re eating lunch together. You, me, Jason, and tofu burgers- just like old times.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-oh, well, actually-” One hand reached up to rub the back of his neck and suddenly Leo looked unsure, his eyes slipping from hers to stare at the far wall. “I still need to repair the broken relays Annabeth removed today, just in case the backups fail too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this point she knew better than to try and convince him not to work on the ship, so instead she shrugged. “Okay, then bring them with you to lunch.” Leo’s head whipped around to stare at her and Piper studiously ignored the surprise on his face. “Just make sure you’re there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The invitation wasn’t up for debate, and Leo nodded, a small grin pulling at his lips. “I… yeah, yeah I’ll be there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned back to the logbook as she made to leave, but just as Piper was about to step out of view she paused for a second time, leaning back to poke her head into the room. “You better go to bed after that entry, or I swear next time I’ll-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah yeah,” Leo didn’t even look up, flapping his left hand in her general direction as he said with a tired voice. “I’ll make sure to </span>
  <em>
    <span>use</span>
  </em>
  <span> the cot this time Nys, so stop badgering me about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nys?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Piper blinked, realizing that Leo hadn’t even noticed the slip of the tongue, his mind already refocused on his work. She decided not to point it out. Once she was out of the engine room, Piper leaned against the far wall in the shadows cast by the light from the open engine room door. It wasn’t that she had lied to Leo about being tired, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been a long day and she could feel her body sagging from all of the energy she had used during it. But another pert of her compelled her to stay and make absolutely sure that Leo kept his promise to get some sleep. If not from a lack of trust then to just put her own worries to bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mouth twitched at the unintentional metaphor, feeling a twinge of guilt for thinking of Leo as a ‘worry.’ True to his word, she was barely standing outside for ten minutes before the telltale scraping of a chair alerted her to the fact that Leo had gotten up. From outside the room, Piper heard Leo say goodnight to Festus, followed by the shuffling of feet and then the creak of the cot’s metal frame as something heavy was deposited into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Satisfied now, Piper made her way back to her own room, darkness greeting her as she shut the door behind herself. She kicked off her shoes, briefly considered changing into pajamas before rejecting the idea in favor of falling into the soft downey mattress, socks, belt, sweaty shirt and all. The creaking of the ship and the almost unnoticeable rocking quickly lulled her eyelids shut, but before she slipped fully into the realm of dreams, she mumbled out a soft thank you to Festus. “Let me know if he gets like that again, m’kay?” She requested, words muffled a bit by the pillow. Festus whirred, a sound Piper chose to take as an agreement, and she let herself succumb to the pull of sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Never did she imagine that the dragons call would come so soon.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A note about the title: Entered in Error is a phrase used in maintenance to indicate that you messed up something when making a logbook entry. It's not that you did bad maintenance, just that you missed something in the paperwork. Hence, here, Piper hadn't necessarily done anything WRONG, per say. She just finally realized Leo wasn't as okay as he was pretending to be.</p><p>And if that's a bit deep for a simple chapter title, eh, sue me, I get introspective like that from time to time ;)</p><p>A note about the style: You may have noticed the style of this chapter is a bit more developed than others (or maybe you didn't, it's been a while since I posted) and I'm sorry if it threw you off or if you don't like it, but that's just how my writing is progressing. I took a lot more time with each scene than I normally do and attempted a different style just to see if I could. It might not stay this way as I go forward, or I might stick with it. I'm honestly not sure yet :) I hope you all enjoyed it anyway.</p><p>Have a lovely day and weekend!!!<br/>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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